The Strongest Numbers: Forgotten Memories
by Tsukuyomi-chan
Summary: What if Yuma lost that duel against III. What if he stayed hopeless! The answer? The start to a legend...
1. Chapter 1

**Me: I can't believe I'm doing this. So yeah, I'm doing the fic but somehow I turned it into a trilogy.**

**Astral: She incorporated the original idea into this.**

**Me: What's incorporated?**

**Astral: (sighs) Look in the dictionary.**

**Me: I have a better idea! !**

**Astral: That is not always right remember.**

**Me: It's almost always!**

**Astral: Remember when it said that black bears are 24 feet long?**

**Me: THAT WAS 3 YEARS AGO AND wait! You weren't with me 3 years ago! How do you know that!**

**Astral: Remember?**

**Me: Oh yeah. You can see my memories. Dang.**

**Astral: Shouldn't you get to the story?**

**Me: The readers don't know it! I'm not worrying!**

**Astral: They'll know it soon.**

**Me: Might as well explain now. Um…. Astral! You do it! I don't feel like it.**

**Astral: (sighs) The summary's in the summary so I see no need to repeat it. **

**Me: We do not own Yugioh Zexal! I wish I did though!**

**Astral: This is in episode 48. Watch it to understand the story.**

**Me: Please don't hate it! This is my first try at something sad!**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Who are you people?**

**(Yuma's POV)**

What is this. What on earth is this! I open my eyes and the first thing I know is that I'm duelling a guy in an Aztec armor. We're in some ancient colosseum. There was a tower behind him and he just demolished it with a green seal!

I don't get it. I think I heard someone calling out to me, I'm not sure. It's scary. All of it's scary! There were some people behind me; I think they were some of my classmates. They might have been yelling, I don't know.

All I know is that when that guy destroyed the tower, I felt the loneliest I've ever felt before! Even after all those times where everyone at school abandoned me. Even after my parents died! I could only stare as everything seemed muted.

What on earth is this?

"With this, there's no one else to help you anymore!" The guy in the armor said.

I shakily stood up and looked again. He had amazingly strong monsters. There's no way I can win this duel! I panicked and took a step back, and another.

There was nothing but empty air under my foot. I slipped and fell backwards off the flying colosseum. Somehow, I managed to hang on with one hand. Under me was the ocean! I'm going to fall! There's no way I can hold on! I'm really going to fall!

Some of my classmates said something, I couldn't hear. My hand was slippery with sweat. My legs dangled helplessly. My face was strained with sweat from holding.

My hand let go. It's over.

"Yuma!" A large boy from my class grabbed my arm. Who was he? I think he duelled me once and said I was a disgrace to duelling. He didn't let go of me and some other classmates ran over and helped him not fall with me.

"Yuma! Hang in there!" One of them said.

"Why are you guys…..?" I asked as they started to pull me up.

"Isn't it obvious! We're friends!" He shouted at me.

"I'm friends with you guys?" You guys ignored me with everyone else!

"That's right!" The girl with green hair said.

"Yuma!" The other girl who looked like a cat said.

"We're…" The blue haired kid said.

"…Friends-ura!" The small one said.

They pulled me up and I landed on solid ground on all fours. I breathed in and out.

"You really forgot everything?" The big kid said. "You were someone who never gave up!" I looked at him.

He grabbed my shirt and pulled me up to him. "No matter what the situation was, you always fought with everything you had! That's the Yuma I know!"

He let go of me and I fell back onto my arms and knees. "I'm brave? We're friends?" I held my head. How could we be friends if I don't know anything about them? I don't even remember their names! But they seem to know me!

"Chatting time is over!" The guy in the armor said. We all looked at him. "I forgot you guys were still here!"

He held out his hand and the green crest from before appeared. It shot out at us and we got blasted backwards.

"Agh!"

I think something snapped off my neck. But that can't be! I don't where anything around there! I flew threw the air from the blast.

"Yuma, I will take everything away from you!" He pointed at me and I fell to the ground painfully on my back.

"It's useless! As long as you're inside there, your voice won't reach him!" He said. What was he talking about?

"Now stand! It's your turn!" He yelled at me. I managed to stand.

"M-My turn. D-Draw." I took a card from my duel disk. I looked at the other cards in my hand. There's no way I can win. I can't do this! There's no way I can do this!

"I-I end my turn."

**Yuma: 400**

**III: 2200**

"It's my turn! I draw! This is the end! Numbers 33! Machu Mach! Attack Yuma directly and end this duel! Flames of Bril!"

The enormous castle shot a beam into the sky. I fell backwards staring at it. This is it. This is it! There's nothing I can do! I'm going to lose!

A gigantic flaming meteor came out of the sky and hit me. Everything went white as I flew backwards and hit the ground.

**Yuma: 0**

**III: 2200**

"And now your Numbers are mine!" He thrust out his hand and a glowing version of it flew into my deck case. It started shining rapidly.

"What?" He took the hand back and I looked at him. "It seems that you don't have the Numbers with you as long as Astral is gone! You're no use to me now!"

He turned and started to walked away, leaving me staring. "Here! So we can meet again in the finals!"

The guy tossed a small red crystal object at me. I caught it and put it in my pocket. Why was I duelling him in the first place? How'd I even get here! No of this makes any sense!

I slowly got up. There was a small poof and my classmates ran up to me.

"Yuma! Are you okay?" The big one asked me. I looked at him again. He said that we were friends. How can that be!

"It's scary."

"Huh? What did you say?" He asked.

"I'm scared. I'm scared!" I looked at him. "All of this is scary! How could I know you! How could I know any of you! I don't remember us ever being friends!"

"Yuma…" The green haired girl looked at me. "Don't you remember anything about all the times we had together? Don't you remember this?" She held out a strangely shaped object.

"What is that?" I asked. She gasped and looked at me with sadness in her eyes. Why?

"At least take it." She gave it to me.

"T-Thanks?" I looked at it some more. It did seem faintly familiar, but I couldn't figure out how.

I looked at her. She seemed familiar, but I don't know how. This is all too confusing!

"Sorry! I gotta go!" I ran away from the highway to my house, with them shouting after me.

**Some Running Later**

I ran through the front door. Everything's already black outside. It's 11:00 at night already. Guess the duel took longer than I thought.

"I-I'm home." I said and started to walk home the stairs.

"Oh Yuma!" Akari shouted from the couch. "Were you out duelling again?"

"N-No! I don't duel anymore! Remember? I stopped 5 years ago!" I said. Her eyes widened.

"What are you talking about?" She looked confused. "I banned you from duelling but you were always doing it behind my back?"

My eyes widened. It's the same as before. Why does everyone think I'm someone brave! Just yesterday, my life was like it usually was, with me having no friends and everyone ignoring me. Now everyone thinks I'm someone else completely!

"S-Sorry! I'm going to my room!" I ran up the stairs to my room.

"O-Oi! Yuma!" She called after me. I shut the door to block out her shouts and flopped onto my bed. This is all too strange.

I took out the strange red crystal and looked at it, then noticed something else in my pocket. I took it out. It was a heart frame with four of the same red crystals inside it. I looked back and forth between the two objects, then tried putting them together. They clicked and formed a perfect heart.

Why did I have this heart? I think some kids in my class once talked about a World Duel Carnival with heart pieces, but I definitely wouldn't join something like that! There's no way I could've one even one duel! But then how'd I get a perfect heart?

I got up and put the heart on my desk, then took out another thing from my pocket, the weird golden object. It really did seem familiar, but I just couldn't figure out how!

There was a string attached to it, so I guess it's a pendant, but I don't think I should wear it without fully knowing what it is. I put it beside the heart and noticed a rope and some multi-colored stairs from a hole in the ceiling.

Wasn't that the attic? Yeah! But mom and dad would always store the things that they found up there. Going into the attic was scary. It's still scary! Why would there be a path to the attic from my room?

I pulled the blanket over my head as I lay down in my bed. All of this is scary. All of this is too scary! I don't get it at all! Why is this happening!

**Meanwhile, In The Toolshed!**

**Astral: You are not Darksideincorperated.**

**Me: What! It's funny!**

**Astral: Do the actual one.**

**Me: Fine! Meany.**

**Meanwhile, Somewhere Else**

III walked up the steps and pushed open the door to Tron's room, where he was in his usual seat watching cartoons and laughing maniacally.

"I'm sorry Tron. I couldn't retrieve the Numbers as planned." III said formally.

"It's fine III." Tron said, making III's eyes widen.

"Really?"

"Yeah." Tron waved his hand in the air.

"Thank you Tron." III bowed and walked out of the room.

"Now that the messenger from the Astral World is sealed off and Tsukumo Yuma no longer remembers his Kattobingu, we can continue with plans without any worry." Tron said and laughed again.

* * *

**Me: Okay, who remembers Tron's maniacal laugh, cause it really creeps me out.**

**Astral: Find one fanfic to work on and stick with it.**

**Me: That's not the point here!**

**Astral: Then you will always have four fanfics going on at the same time.**

**Me: You're spoiling!**

**Astral: Have you figured out what incorporated means yet?**

**Me: Yeah. Here it is.**

**in·cor·po·rat·ed [in-kawr-puh-rey-tid] **

**adjective **

**1. formed or constituted as a legal corporation. **

**2. combined in one body; made part of.**

**Me: So you're saying, I formed the idea as a legal corporation? What does that even mean!**

**Astral: The second meaning.**

**Me: What? So I combined the idea into this. Oh! That makes much more sense!**

**Astral: (sighs) You're becoming more and more like Yuma.**

**Me: Am not! I am not an idiot!**

**Astral: I never said you were an idiot. I merely claimed that you are inheriting some traits of Yuma.**

**Me: What! Why you…**

**Astral: Review.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Me: Shut up already Astral!**

**Astral: But you need your sleep.**

**Me: For the last time YOU ARE NOT MY MOM SO DON'T ACT LIKE IT!**

**Astral: You do realize that the readers are listening in.**

**Me: What! Oh. Um, hi? **

**Astral: She is sorry for the rough intro.**

**Me: I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT! STOP STEALING MY LINES!**

**Astral: As you can tell, she is in a bad mood.**

**Me: And you're the reason!**

**Astral: How is it my fault that TV Tokyo's channel on Keyhole TV got changed.**

**Me: I DON'T KNOW BUT YOU'RE PART OF THE SHOW SO IT'S YOUR FAULT!**

**Astral: As you all know, I am a part of Yugioh Zexal****—**

**Me: Way to state the obvious!**

**Astral: Let me finish. I did not know that TV Tokyo changed it's name to something completely Japanese. She spent all morning trying to find it since she cannot read Japanese. And now she is blaming it on me.**

**Me: I'm not blaming you! I just want to blame someone from the show and the only person that can come to our reality is YOU and****—**

**Astral: We do not own Yugioh Zexal**

**Me: LISTEN TO ME WHEN I'M YELLING AT YOU!**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Running, running, and more running.**

**(Um, I think this is still Yuma's POV)**

My eyes opened when sunlight streamed through the window. I yawned, then looked at my clock.

"8:26. Oh." I was about to go back to sleep when I realized what I said.

"IT'S 8:26 ALREADY! I'M LATE!" I jumped out and grabbed my clothes. I ran downstairs and put them on.

"Oh Yuma. You're late." Grandma said from the table, drinking some tea.

"I know Grandma. I'm leaving now." I said and ran out the door.

**Some Running To School Later (wow his morning was boring)**

I ran up the front steps to see many students in the courtyard. Um, a way to avoid them? There!

I crept over to the side school entrance and snuck in. Good. Nobody noticed me. I started walking to class when I heard something weird. It sounded like singing.

"Ura, ura, ura, ura, ura~" A boy skipping came around and saw me. "Oh! Yuma-ura! Are you okay-ura?"

"Uh…" He was one of those kids from yesterday. What do I do what do I do?

"Sorry! Gotta go!" I ran off to class, away from him.

**Some More Running And Classtime Later (I'm skipping the first class because nothing eventful happens)**

Gym class now. I always sucked at gym. I doubt I'll get any better. We're jumping blocks today. Like usual, I sat in the corner in a ball and listened to other people jump and have fun.

But that didn't happen. Almost everyone pointed at me and whispered. Why? They never noticed me before, and suddenly they start whispering about me! Why?

I stuck my head into my knees as the whispering got louder.

"Tsukumo-kun's not going to jump today?"

"What's wrong with Yuma?"

"He seems out of it!"

"Awww! I was looking forward to seeing Tsukumo jump!"

"What's he doing over there?"

"Yuma, are you feeling better?" The girl with green hair from yesterday walked up to me and asked. I think her name is Mizuki Kotori.

"Uh, hi Mizuki-san." I said, lifting my head a bit.

"Mizuki-san?" She seemed confused.

I looked down and didn't speak, so she fake-smiled and tried to lighten the mood.

"Ne, Yuma? Aren't you going to jump today?"

"There's no way I could jump over that." I replied softly.

"Huh?" I don't think she heard me.

"There's no way I could jump over that." I said a bit louder.

"B-But you won't know until you try—"

"I know. There's just no way I could do something like that." I stuck my head back into my knees. I think she looked at me for a while before walking away. I heard her voice some more, talking with other people.

"Do you know what's wrong with Yuma?"

"No idea! He's acting the opposite of usual!"

"We have to help him!"

I covered my ears, trying to block out their voices. Why are they treat me like someone different? Why is everyone treating me like someone different! I can't stand it! It's too weird!

I stayed in the corner until class was over, then ran out of the room as fast as I could. Hopefully, the rest of the day won't be so bad.

**Some time later (lunch is over)**

You know how sometimes in movies where someone says something like "Oh I hope it doesn't rain!" or "This plan will definitely work!", it works out the exact opposite? Well, that's my situation. The day went from bad to worse, and I have a feeling it's not over yet!

I collapsed into my seat for the last class of the day. Lunch was lunch. Hiding in the corner of the school and eating. More class. More staying out of people's ways. I'm just glad this school day is almost over.

"Class is starting." The teacher walked in. Mizuki walked over and took a seat next to me. Weird.

"Um, why are you sitting next to me? Don't you usually sit next to him?" I whispered and pointed to Testuo.

"No. Why?" She said, frowning.

"Well, usually no one sits next to me." That just made her even more confused.

"Please pay attention!" The teacher put the book onto his desk and looked at us, along with the rest of the class. They're looking at me! It's scary.

"I'm sorry!" I shouted and looked down. Everyone started whispering. About me!

"Um, I gotta go!" I ran out of the class as fast as I could.

"W-Wait! Yuma!" Mizuki said behind me. I didn't wait. I ran as fast as I could to the back of the school without looking back. Then I leaned onto a wall and looked up at the sky.

"Jeez. What on Earth is happening?" I whispered and noticed something on my belt. Huh? It's the deck that my dad gave me! Why is it fastened to my belt? And how did I not notice that before?

I took it out and looked at it. It seemed different from when I last saw it, but that was 5 years ago. Some new cards, some cards taken out, and, some exceed monsters? Dad never had any exceed monsters! I never had any exceed monsters!

I shuffled through the cards. Baby Tiragon, Melo Melomelody, Ten Tentempo, and Muzu Muzurhythm. For some reason, I think I had more! But that's impossible! I never even had any of these monsters in the first place!

Still, I think I had more. There's like this faint memory in the back of my mind, but every time I try and see it, it disappears.

I put the deck back into the deck case and checked the time. School's almost over. I'd better sneak away before the duelling starts.

"Yuma? What are you doing here?" A voice said from behind me. I turned around.

"Y-You're…"

* * *

**Me: Sorry about making it short. The chapters after will be longer! I promise! Anyway, guess who joins in though! I dare ya! Guess in the reviews!**

**Astral: It is someone you already know, but part of Yugioh Zexal.**

**Me: Well duh! Also, has anyone noticed that even though Yuma loves eating, they never show him eating lunch at school onscreen?**

**Astral: The animators didn't deem it worthy of time.**

**Me: Will you stop using big words! It's annoying!**

**Astral: (sigh) Review the chapter.**

**Me: See you again! Hey Astral, how do you know all these complicated words?**

**Astral: One time you dropped a dictionary and I looked at the words on the page, also, your little sister was flipping through it and I remembered some of the words.**

**Me: Oh. Stalker. Review!**

**Astral: What is a stalker?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Me: CONGRADULATIONS TO HANA13 and YIN-YANG YO-YO FOR GUESSING OUR NEW GUEST!**

**Astral: That is nice, now can you stop yelling?**

**Me: CELEBRATING! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH! I LOVE SHOUTING! NYEH!**

**Astral: (sighs) This is getting a bit too much (disappears back into the Key)**

**Me: Wow! That's like the first time he disappeared on me! Wow! Maybe I should stop yelling!**

**Me: Yeah you should stop yelling! It's hurting all of our ears!**

**Me: Yeah! Listen to your alter ego number 1!**

**Me: Wait! I thought I was alter ego number 1!**

**Me: Weren't you number 4?**

**Me: No! You were number 7!**

**Me: Do I have seven alter egos? I thought I only had 5!**

**Me: No! I have seven! You have 5!**

**Me: Wait! But you are me! So how do you have more alter egos than me!**

**Me: Duh! I'm the you from an alternate universe!**

**Me: No! That was me!**

**Me: OKAY! STOP IT ALREADY! YOU GUYS ARE ALL SO ANNOYING!**

**Me: U-Um, all 157 of us do not own Yugioh Zexal.**

**Me: I HAVE 157 ALTER EGOS! HOW ON EARTH DID THAT HAPPEN!**

**Me: DUH PEABRAIN! WE'RE ALL PARTS OF YOU AND WE ALL HAVE EGOS! SO IT'S OBVIOUS!**

**Me: Um, shouldn't we get to the story?**

**Me: Shy me is right! Let's get going!**

**Me: Jeez! This would have never happened if Astral was here!**

**Me: GIMME THE COMPUTER SO I CAN TYPE DAMNIT!**

**Me: IT'S MINE JEEZ!**

**Me: YOU ARE ME!**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Ownage by Sharks**

"Yuma? What are you doing here?" A voice said from behind me. I turned around.

"You're Shark!" I took a step back, but collided with the wall.

"What's wrong?" Shark frowned.

"P-Please don't hurt me or steal my cards!" I cowered behind my hands. Well this day turned out just _fine_! Shark, the school bully, is about to steal my cards! And possibly beat me up!

"Seriously! What are you talking about?"

I stopped cowering a bit. A bit. "You're not going to duel me and steal my cards?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Well, you duelled almost everyone in the school and took their rarest cards. So, it's not my turn?"

"I stopped that a long time ago when you won against me!"

Huh? What is he talking about? "Won in what?"

"A duel of course!"

I froze. It's the same. It's the same as with those people! Even Shark's treating me like someone different! This is all too weird!

"Sorry! I have to go!" I ran away from Shark to my home.

"O-Oi! Yuma!" He shouted after me.

**(Now Narrative to fill up some holes)**

"What's up with Yuma?" Shark wondered as he turned away from the spot where Yuma was just standing.

"Shark!" He heard a voice yell and saw some kids running towards him.

"Kotori? What is it?"

"We just saw Yuma run off!" Tetsuo said.

"Hey! Do you know what's up with Yuma? He seems really weirded out! He was convinced I was still the bully that I had been before I dueled him!"

"There's something wrong with Yuma. He doesn't remember that we're his friends either!" Kotori explained.

"Seriously? What happened!"

"Well, everything was normal yesterday and Yuma went to duel a guy named III."

"III?" Shark looked agitated.

"Yeah."

"And he lost?"

"Well, sort of."

"What do you mean sort of?"

"III did something to Yuma halfway through. He said he erased the Kattobingu from his memories."

"Kattobingu? You mean Yuma's annoying catchphrase?"

"It's not annoying! And the thing is now Yuma's acting like this!"

"You forgot to mention Astrl-ura!" Tokunosuke said.

"Who's Astral?"

Yuma's friends all froze and looked away. Shark looked at them. _You really think I'm falling for that?_

"Who is Astral!"

"Astral's the spirit living in Yuma's Key that helps Yuma win duels!"

". . . . What?"

"And then III did something and killed Astral!"

"III, killed a ghost."

"Well he's more of a spirit but that's not the point! Now Yuma's all sad and depressed and hardly remembers anything and we need to help him and you're helping!"

"Wait. What?"

**30 Minutes Later…**

Kotori, Tetsuo, Cat, Takashi, Tokunosuke and a reluctant Shark stood outside the entrance to Yuma's house.

"Okay, remember the plan?" Kotori asked.

"Why does it have to be me!" Shark complained.

"Because when you two first dueled, Astral appeared! So if you duel again, maybe Astral will come out to help!"

" . . . . Astral came in our duel."

"Yeah."

"You said Astral helps Yuma win duels."

"Yeah."

"So doesn't that basically mean that Yuma cheated in our duel?"

"That's not the point here! Let's just go!"

Kotori walked up to the door and knocked.

"Coming!" A shout came from inside. The door opened and Akari stood in the doorway.

"Oh! Kotori-chan! What is it?" She asked.

"Has Yuma been acting strangely lately?"

Akari frowned. "You noticed too?"

"Yeah."

"He comes home yesterday acting like a total wimp! He doesn't argue when I tell him to get a report for me! He says he quit duelling 5 years ago! And he's upstairs actually doing his homework!"

Their jaws dropped. Yuma. Actually do his homework with his own free will. He's done it before, but that was because Kotori or Akari or his Grandma or the teacher pressured him into it. Yuma actually doing his homework from his own free will. The thought is mind blowing.

"W-Well," Kotori tried to snap out of it. "Could you call him down to see us?"

Akari sighed. "I'll try." She went back inside. "Yuma! Come down here!"

"Um, sure.." Yuma crept down the staircase. "What is it sis?"

"Dunno. Just come down." Akari walked away back to the living room. Yuma peeked around the wall, his eyes widening at the sight of Kotori and others.

"W-Why are you here?" Yuma asked quietly.

"Yuma!" Kotori ran in and grabbed his arm and started pulling him out.

"W-W-What are you doing?" Yuma asked as he got dragged out his house.

"Just go with it!" Kotori looked down at Yuma's chest. "Yuma? Where's your Emperor's Key?"

"What's that?"

"Is he serious?" Shark asked. "What's wrong with him?"

Yuma's eyes widened and started freaking out. "C-Can I please go now?" He asked.

"Not yet! First you duel Shark!" She said.

Yuma stared at her. "W-What?"

"You're duelling Shark! Come on! Get out your D-Pad and deck!"

"B-But I don't duel!" Yuma tried to protest.

"Just try!" Kotori pushed him out the door. "Tetsuo! Go get Yuma's stuff!"

"Sure!" Tetsuo ran into Yuma's house and returned a few minutes later with a red D-Pad and Yuma's deck case.

"W-Why do I have to duel?" Yuma tried to pull away but Kotori refuse to let go.

"Let's go to city square! That's where you duelled Shark the first time!"

"I duelled Shark?" Yuma didn't remember ever doing that.

"Yeah! When Shark beat Tetsuo in a duel and took his deck, you stepped in and duelled Shark and got Tetsuo's deck back!"

"Really?" Yuma doubted it and thought she was just making it up.

"Yeah! So now that we're here, duel!" She pushed Yuma to one side of the square and Shark walked to the other side.

"B-Bu-But—"

"No buts!" Kotori handed over a red d-pad, d-gazer and his deck to Yuma.

"W-What do I do with this?" Yuma asked.

"Activate it and put your deck in it and get ready to duel!" Kotori said.

"Uhh…" Yuma pressed a button on it and the d-pad unfolded into a duel disk. He took out his deck and put it into the deck slot.

"Duel disk! Set!" Shark yelled and his blue d-pad unfolded in the air.

"Now the d-gazer!" Kotori said to Yuma.

"R-Right!" Yuma pressed another button and the d-gazer unfolded. He put it over his let eye.

"D-gazer! Set!" Shark threw his into the air, caught it, and put it over his eye.

"AR Vision, link established." A mechanical voice said.

"DUEL!"

"D-Duel."

**Shark: 4000**

**Yuma: 4000**

"Yuma! You're going first!" Shark shouted. Yuma's eyes widened.

"R-Right! I-It's my turn, draw." Yuma drew a card. "I-I summon Ganbara Knight in attack mode."

A knight with a large shield rose up and yelled.

"Yuma! Ganbara Knight has no attack points!" Tetsuo yelled.

"W-What?" Yuma looked at the monster and at the card. "Oh. I-I end my turn."

"Yuma!" Tetsuo yelled.

"It's my turn! Draw!" Shark yelled and drew a card. "I summon Big Jaws in attack mode!"

A large shark rose from the ground.

"Now the effect of Shark Stickers from my hand activates! Since I just summoned a fish monster, I can special summon Shark Stickers!"

Another shark rose from the ground.

"Now I overlay my level three Big Jaws and my level three Shark Stickers! I build the overlay network with these two monsters! Exceed summon!"

The two sharks flew into a vortex and combined. Lights flew as if exploded.

"Appear! Submersible Carrier Aero Shark!" A large shark designed like a double plane flew out of the vortex with two lights flying around it.

Yuma backed up and freaked out silently.

"I detach one overlay unit to cause you 400 points of damage for each card in my hand! I have 4, so you take 1600 points of damage!"

Aero Shark shot out missiles towards Yuma. They exploded and sent him flying backwards screaming.

**Shark: 4000**

**Yuma: 2400**

"I'm not done yet! I play the spell Aqua Jet! Now Aero Shark's attack points go up by 1000!" A hologram next to Aero Shark showed 1900 rising to 2900.

"Aero Shark! Attack Ganbara Knight!" Shark yelled.

"Yuma!" Kotori yelled.

Yuma stared at the incoming shark with wide eyes. He freaked out and back up, only to fall down. The shark dived down and shot out missiles. The blast sent Yuma flying back.

**Shark: 4000**

**Yuma: 0**

Shark took off his d-gazer as the holo-space dissolved. "Guess you were serious about Yuma." He said to Kotori, who had run over to help Yuma up.

"Yuma, are you okay?" Kotori asked. Yuma got up and looked down.

"A-Are we done here? Was that just so you could prove that I'm useless?" Yuma asked quietly.

"W-What? No!" Kotori looked shocked as Yuma slowly took off his d-gazer and shoved it in his pocket.

"Oh yeah, Yuma!" Shark walked over calmly.

"W-What is it?" Yuma asked, obviously scared.

"Where's your pendant?"

"What?"

"The Emperor's Key. Why aren't you wearing it like usual?"

"I-I don't know what that is." Yuma said and turned away. "W-We're done here, right?" Then Yuma ran past Kotori and Tetsuo.

"Yuma?"

Yuma didn't turn around as he ran as fast as he could home.

"Y-Yuma!" Kotori shouted after his fleeing form. She could have sworn that she saw some tears on his face when he pushed past her.

They stood there for a while before Tokunosuke spoke up.

"I don't think it worked-ura."

They all turned to him and took a deep breath. "IT TOOK YOU THAT LONG TO FIGURE IT OUT?"

* * *

**Me: I'm using the anime descriptions, not the TCG ones.**

**Me: Also, nobody ever told Shark about Astral. **

**Me: I think everyone just assumed that he knew over time.**

**Me: Well that's stupid. They should really keep track of the plot!**

**Me: Hey! That's not nice! Please apologize to the readers!**

**Me: Please shut your face! It's annoying!**

**Me: You're the mean me!**

**Me: And your just plain annoying! Go away!**

**Me: I can't go away!**

**Me: I wasn't talking to you! I was talking to her!**

**Me: No you weren't! You were talking to her!**

**Me: OKAY CAN WE PLEASE JUST SHUT UP! GODS I'M ANNOYING!**

**Me: It's not my fault! Blame****—**

**Me: SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!**

**Me: Review the chapter.**

**Me: That's my line!**

**Me: No that's mine!**

**Me: Mine!**

**(large fighting commences)**

**Me: (sighs) I hope Astral comes back soon. I don't think I can stand another minute with myself.**

**Me: Hey! Why aren't you in here!**

**(grabs her and pulls her into the giant cloud of people beating up each other)**

**Me: Re-Review! Please!**

**Me: OH GODS ASTRAL HELP US! HURRY AND COME BACK! PLEASE!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Me: Let's see, plot for this chapter should be….. uh…..**

**Astral: Write and find out.**

**Me: Yes! That's great! Now what?**

**Astral: You write.**

**Me: Oh yeah! Here's the chapter!**

**Astral: We do not own Yugioh Zexal.**

**Me: When is it my turn to do the disclaimer!**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Meeting Mysterious People With Weird Hair**

Yuma lay on his actual bed. After he had got home from his humiliating defeat against Shark, he had asked Akari if she could find a way to seal up the way to the attic. She had, of course, refused.

Yuma sighed and picked up the strange pendant. It really did look familiar, but he couldn't figure out how!

He stared up at the ceiling. "Maybe I'll go to sleep and it'll turn out that this is all a bad dream!" He closed his eyes.

**BOOM!**

"What was that!" Yuma jumped out of the bed and looked out the window. A guy was standing on the street with a robot by his side. On the other side of the street was a man knocked out on his back.

"Umm, what do I do?" Yuma freaked out and ran around. He jumped onto his bed and pulled the blanket over his head to hide.

"Wait! Hiding here will do no good! But it'll make me live longer!" He hid deeper. "Someone else will take care of it!"

He stayed and waited. There were a few more booms. It was about a half hour before he came out. "Is it clear?" The clock next to his bed said 2:16 a.m.

He slowly crawled out and went to the window. The people were still there. Yuma wondered why nobody was going out to check out the booming.

"Uh, maybe I should see what's going on." Yuma looked at his bedroom door. "Um, sure. I'll take a quick look and then come back in!"

He crept downstairs, past the living room and to the door. The door opened a bit and a red eye peeked out. Yuma pushed it open a bit more.

He leaned on the door to open it some more, but tripped over his feet. "Ack!" The door slammed open and he fell to the ground with a thump.

"Ow…" He got up slowly.

"Tsukumo Yuma?" A voice said. Yuma looked up. A teenager wearing a black jacket and yellow-green hair stood staring at him with a puzzled expression.

"W-Who are you?" Yuma asked as his heart started beating faster and faster. Who was this guy and how did he know him?

The guy frowned. "What are you talking about? I'm just hunting Numbers like usual."

"N-Numbers? What are those?"

The guy stared. "Are you serious?"

"Perhaps Touma hit his head Kaito-sama!" The robot next to him said.

"Huh?" Yuma was confused. What were they talking about.

"Hmph! Whatever!" The guy said and turned away. "Just have Astral explain it if you really don't remember." And with that he walked away down the street. Yuma watched him walk away.

"Numbers? Astral? Kaito? Touma?" Yuma lay there on his side, thinking about what Kaito had just said. "What?"

After what seemed to be an eternity, he walked back inside to his bedroom. As he got into bed, he realized that he was still holding something. Yuma opened his hand. He was still holding the strange pendant.

He put it back onto the desk and then looked at the clock. His eyes widened. It still said 2:16 a.m.

Yuma was sure that he had been there for at least half an hour! Why was it the same time! What's going on!

**The next morning….**

Yuma slid into his seat at school sleepily. He had barely gotten any after meeting that strange person in the middle of the night.

"Yuma! Good morning!" A cheery voice said. Yuma looked up.

"Oh. Mizuki-san. Good morning." Yuma replied expressionlessly, then went back to staring at an invisible spot on the desk.

"N-Ne, Yuma? Me and Tetsuo and the others are going downtown to a duel field after school. Do you want to come?" Kotori tried to smile and say.

"Nah. I'll pass." Yuma said.

"O-Oh. Okay." Kotori sat into her seat. They stayed there for a while before Yuma spoke.

"Mizuki-san? Do you know what an Astral is?"

Kotori snapped her head up. Her eyes widened. "Oh! I can't believe we forgot about him!" She stood up.

"U-Uh Mizuki-san? Do you know what Astral is?" Yuma tried to attract her attention.

"W-What? Oh!" She sat back down, but for the rest of the class, Yuma could tell she wasn't paying attention and thinking about that Astral.

**One Class Later…**

As soon as Uyko-sensei dismissed the class, Kotori was the first person out the door, dragging Tetsuo and Takashi behind her.

"Emergency meeting for the Numbers Club in the tree at the back of the courtyard!" She said. "Get Tokunosuke and, uh, oh yeah! Cat-chan!"

"O-Okay!" Tetsuo ran off in one direction and Takashi went in the other. Kotori ran to the courtyard with a determined look on her face.

**One (or two) Gatherings Later… (dotting is fun)…**

"Kotori! What is it?" Tetsuo asked as soon as all the members of the Numbers Club were gathered.

Kotori took a breath. "Yuma asked me about Astral."

They stared at her. "So does he remember now?"

"No. He just randomly asked me if I knew what an Astral is."

"So he doesn't remember-ura?"

"NO TOKUNOSUKE AND THAT'S NOT THE POINT HERE!" Kotori stopped yelling. "The point IS that maybe if Astral comes back then Yuma will remember!"

"That's a great idea!" Takashi shouted. They all nodded and stood there.

"So….How do we get Astral back?" Tetsuo asked.

"Hmmm…" They stood there thinking. Then their eyes lit up and they took a breath.

"Absolutely no idea."

**Meanwhile, Somewhere Else…**

Yuma walked home from school alone. He didn't know why, but he felt really lonely. He usually walked home alone and he was used to it! Yuma didn't get it.

Without realizing it, he had walked to the entrance of Heartland Tower. Yuma looked up at the large heart at the top. There was a commercial about the WDC spinning around it.

He took out something from his pocket. The commercial said that if someone had collected all 5 heart pieces, they could participate in the finals. Yuma stared at the red heart in his hand.

"When did I even participate in the WDC! I know some others did but I didn't!" He stared at the heart some more. "Maybe if I get rid of it, then I won't go to the finals! There's no way I could win anyway."

Yuma walked over to the edge of the platform and looked down below. Heartland Tower is located in a large platform with many stairs leading up to it in the middle of the city. If he threw it from here, it could land anywhere! Then a better duelist would find it and Yuma wouldn't have to be bothered with it.

He took a breath, then prepared to throw.

"Oh! Yuma! What are you doing here!" A loud voice said from behind him.

Yuma lost his balance and fell forwards. He was about to tumble off when a man jumped out, grabbed his arm and pulled him back onto the platform. Yuma fell on his bottom.

"Woah! Don't fall off! Not when you finally got a full heart! You won't be able to participate in the finals if you die!" The man joked.

"T-Thanks." Yuma got up and looked at the man. He had brown and red flaming hair and a very large coat.

"Gauche! What are you doing!" A woman with purple-blue hair said behind him and walked up.

"Oh! Droite! Yuma just nearly fell off!"

Droite sighed. "Probably because you talk too loud and made him lose his balance."

"I do not talk loudly!" Gauche shouted.

Droite sighed again and turned to Yuma. "So why are you here?"

"Ah, uh, well," Yuma didn't know what to do with the two proctors staring down at him.

"h-Here!" Yuma shoved the heart to Gauche. "I-I don't want it!"

"Huh?" Gauche looked at Yuma. Droite frowned.

"What are you talking about! The finals are in a week and 3 days!" She said.

"I-I know. I'm not going." Yuma stuttered.

"Teme…. You're giving up all the sudden!" Gauche shouted. Yuma had already started running away. He stopped when he heard Gauche.

"Don't I always?" He ran down the stairs, leaving Droite and Gauche speechless.

* * *

**Me: Great. Yuma gave away his heart piece. Just **_**great!**_

**Astral: You are the one in charge of this story. You made that happen.**

**Me: I did not! The story goes wherever it goes and I just write it down!**

**Astral: You are the one who makes the story go.**

**Me: Look can you stop contradicting me! **

**Astral: Just post it online and go work on your other story.**

**Me: Okay. Here's an advertisement! Read my Naruto story if you like Naruto! It's gonna be awesome!**

**Astral: Review the chapter.**

**Me: Hey I'm not finished here!**

**Astral: See you next chapter.**

**Me: I said I'm no****—**


	5. Chapter 5

**Me: WOOOOOH! FIFTH CHAPTER! YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS?**

**Astral: You are going crazy?**

**Me: SOMETHING LIKE THAT! THE NEXT CHAPTER MIGHT BE A WHILE! I GOT A GRADE 10 PRACTICAL PIANO EXAM!**

**Astral: She is doing the split exam where she does the studies and techniques now and the repertoire later some other time.**

**Me: I FAIL AT OCTAVES BUT I'M PRETTY GOOD WITH EVERYTHING ELSE!**

**Astral: So, wish her luck so she does not mess up. We do no****—**

**Me: IT'S MY TURN! We do not own Yugioh Zexal!**

* * *

**Chapter 5: So, How Do You Summon Aliens From A Different Dimension?**

**(Note: This is the next day, since nothing really happened after that)**

Kotori, Tetsuo, Takashi, Tokunosuke, and Cat-chan sat around a table in the school library, thinking. They were surrounded by huge piles of books about alien theories.

"Anyone get anything?" Kotori asked.

They shook their heads. Kotori sighed.

"Great. This is getting us NOWHERE!"

"So now what do we do?" Tetsuo asked.

"Hmmmm…." They all thought.

"Guess we just keep trying!" Kotori said.

"Oh hey! Kotori-chan! I remembered something!" Takashi said.

"WHAT IS IT!" The others all stood up and glared at him. Takashi gulped and spoke.

"Well, Yuma-kun has a complete heart for the WDC, so eventually he will have to duel in it. To summarize, maybe then when he duels some others, he will remember."

There were two simultaneous shouts after this.

"THAT'S GREAT!"

"ARE YOU CRAZY! IT'LL NEVER WORK!"

Kotori and Tetsuo glared at Tokunosuke and Cat-chan, who glared back.

"It'll never work!" Kotori shouted.

"It's our only plan to get Yuma back!" Cat-chan shouted back.

"U-Uh, guys?" Takashi tried to stop the angry girls.

"FINE!" They both shouted, crossed their arms, and turned away from eachother.

"So. . . . . Now what?" Tetsuo asked. They all looked at each other.

"We're back to square one." They all sighed and slumped their heads in defeat.

**RING RING RING!**

"Huh? It's my d-gazer!" Kotori took it out and checked it. "Hello?"

"Is this Kotori-chan?" A woman on the other end said.

"Yeah? Who is this?"

"Droite. Could you meet me and Gauche in the park?"

"Droite-san? S-Sure."

"Gimme that!" A rough man's voice came on. "Oi! This is Gauche! It's about Yuma!"

Kotori's eyes widened. "Yuma?"

**Meanwhile, with Yuma…..**

"I'm home." Yuma called and walked into his house.

"Yuma!" Akari called. "I need to have a word with you!"

Yuma gulped. "N-Nee-chan? W-What is it?"

"It's about how you've been acting these past few days." Akari walked over. "What's up?"

"W-What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb!" She grabbed the top of Yuma's head. "You've been acting really suspicious these past few days! What is it!"

"I-I don't know what you're—"

"See! This is exactly what I'm talking about! You usually never stutter!" What's up!"

"I-I d-don't know."

"You don't know? You don't know! YOU DON'T KNOW! MY LITTLE BROTHER'S ACTING LIKE A STRANGER TO ME AND YOU EXPECT ME TO ACCEPT THE EXCUSE 'I don't know'?"

"I-I really don't know. Everyone's just suddenly treating me like someone else and I don't really know what's going on—"

_Yuma. Tsukumo Yuma._

"Huh?" Yuma looked around. "What was that?"

"What was what?" Akari looked confused. "Are you hallucinating now?"

"No, that! Someone was calling me!"

"SERIOSLY! WHAT are you talking about?"

_Tsukumo Yuma. Please come._

"That voice! It just called me again!"

"Okay! That's it! I'm calling a psychiatrist!" Akari took out her C-Pad and started searching things up.

While Akari was focusing on finding a 'suitable psychiatrist for this case', Yuma sneaked out of the door.

_Tsukumo Yuma. Please follow my voice._

Yuma heard it and started following.

**Now, at the park….**

Kotori looked around the park. "Uhhh…. Where are they?" She scanned the area, but it was hard to find anyone since it just happens to be super crowded today.

Then she noticed a familiar flaming haired man and calm woman amongst the crowd. Kotori ran over. "Droite-san! Gauche-san!"

"Oh! There you are!" Gauche called. Kotori ran over.

"So what is it?" She asked.

They automatically looked away. "This." Droite handed a red heart over to Kotori. She stared at it in her hands

"This is a completed heart piece? What does this have to do with—"

"Yuma just randomly dropped by yesterday and said that he's quitting the WDC! He gave back his heart piece and everything!" Gauche shouted.

"Gauche! Be quiet! Do you want everyone to here?" Droite said.

"N-No, but…."

"Has Yuma been acting strangely lately, since he was acting very strange when we saw him." Droite continued.

"O-Oi! D-Don't ignore—"

"Yeah! Yuma's been acting really weird lately! Ever since he duelled III"

"Who's III"

"He's….." Kotori trailed off. She didn't actually know much about III at all!

Droite sighed. "Well, when he's feeling better, could you give it back to him?"

"Sure!"

"Good." Then Droite started to walk away.

"H-Hey!" Gauche ran after her. "Don't ignore me!"

Kotori stared at Yuma's previous heart piece.

"Yuma. What's going on?"

**Meanwhile, Somewhere Else…..**

Yuma ran around the city, trying to hear the voice. It was like a game of hot and cold.

_Over here!_

_No! Over here!_

_I'm over here!_

_Better catch up!_

Finally, Yuma made his way to the back of the city. This is where the worst criminals in the city hang out.

"U-Uh…. Is anyone here?" Yuma called.

A few thugs came out of the alley and smiled. Yuma gulped and backed up.

"Oi! Brat! Do you have any money!" The big one in the middle yelled.

"U-Uh, n-not really…."

"Well then we'll have to beat some out of you, won't we!" He turned to his underlings, who smiled evilly.

Yuma backed up, away from the thugs. His back hit a wall. The thugs laughed.

Suddenly, they dropped to the ground unconscious. "Huh?"

_They'll wake up in a day with no memories of this. I'm over here._

Yuma looked at the sleeping thugs, then ran off to the voice. After running around for a half hour, he found himself in the back of a very dark alley.

_Over here._

Yuma walked to the corner of the alley. Something was shining in the clumpy grass. A glowing white card appeared in a ball of light. Yuma's eyes widened as the light burst and he read the name of the card…

**Me: To be continued!**

**Astral: And now….**

**Me: It's karaoke time! Woah!**

**Astral: This time she will be singing Masterpiece.**

**(music plays)**

**Me: Let's go!**

_**Ame no hi mo kaze no hi mo gokkan no fubuki mo shakunetsu no taiyou mo  
Subete hibi wo irodoru zairyou hekotarenaide ishi to ai wo  
Kimi ga kureta yasashisa wa kibishisa  
Butsukaru koto de shitta modokashisa  
Chigai wo mitomeru koto de hajimaru juuoumujin odore tenchikaibyaku**_

_**Hontou wa sabishikatta kimi ni au made wa**_  
_**Hitori de iru hou ga kiraku nan datte usotsuite ita**_  
_**Suki na honmo shumi mo marude awanai kedo**_  
_**Kimi dake da yo unazuite kureta no wa**_  
_**Yorokobi to kanashimi to ikari to DO to RE to MI to FA to SO to LA to TI to DO**_  
_**Chigawanakya dekinai HARMONY to SCENARIO**_

_**Dare mo onaji ja nai**_  
_**Sore koso ga ikiteru imi dakara**_  
_**Toki toshite dashita oto ga fukyouwaon demo**_  
_**Dakara akiramenai shinji nukeru tsuyosa de**_  
_**Tadori tsukeru sekai no hate de kimi to miru keshiki ga shinjitsu nanda**_

_**Hontou wa sagashite ita kimi ni au made wa**_  
_**Tsunagu tame no tenohira ga sugu soba ni aru koto**_  
_**Butsukariau koto wa totemo kowai kedo**_  
_**Kokoro no soko kara warai aitai**_  
_**Aka, ao, ki to shiro to kuro to daichi to umi to sora to uchuu to**_  
_**Chigawanakya mienai fuukei to SCENARIO**_

_**Dare mo hitori ja nai**_  
_**Sorezore no monogatari kasanereba**_  
_**Utsurikawatteku kisetsu mayotta toshite mo**_  
_**Sono te wo hanasanai shinji nukeru tsuyosa de**_  
_**Aruite yuku tabi no tochuu kimi to miru keshiki ga shinjitsu nanda**_

_**LIMIT SPEED de ikimasu KNOCK**_  
_**Kimi to ano hi kawashita yakusoku**_  
_**Oboetemasu ka? Katatta yume**_  
_**Iroase wa shinai WONDERFUL DAYS**_  
_**Hi no sasu hou he tsuyoku fumidashita**_  
_**Tomoni nagashita kuyashi namida**_  
_**Hibi kattou shinagara kakutou**_  
_**Gyakkyou datte warae rakushou**_

_**Dandan to tsuyoku naru kesshin**_  
_**Zenshin zenshin tsuchikau seishin**_  
_**Fumareta tte tachiagatte kou**_  
_**Otentosama ni arigatou**_  
_**Sou bokura wa itsumo tsunagatteru'n da**_  
_**Onaji hoshi no ue ikiteru'n da**_  
_**PIECE & PIECE awase yukou**_  
_**Kagayake MASTERPIECE**_

_**Onaji asa wo onaji yoru wo sugoshite chigau koto wo kanjite mo**_  
_**Daiji na no wa onaji sora wo mite iru koto itsu datte**_

_**Dare mo onaji ja nai**_  
_**Sore koso ga ikiteru imi dakara**_  
_**Toki toshite dashita oto ga fukyouwaon demo**_  
_**Dakara akiramenai shinji nukeru tsuyosa de**_  
_**Tadori tsukeru sekai no hate de kimi to miru keshiki ga shinjitsu nanda**_  
_**Kimi to mita keshiki ga shinjitsu nanda**_

_**Ame no hi mo kaze no hi mo gokkan no fubuki mo shakunetsu no taiyou mo**_  
_**Subete hibi wo irodoru zairyou hekotarenaide ishi to ai wo**_  
_**Kimi ga kureta yasashisa wa kibishisa**_  
_**Butsukaru koto de shitta modokashisa**_  
_**Chigai wo mitomeru koto de hajimaru juuoumujin odore tenchikaibyaku**_

**Me: Thank you to everyone who's reviewed, favourite, or story alerted so far! I'm giving you guys chocolate cupcakes to everyone who did!**

**Me: Wow. YOU GUYS ARE MAKING ME GIVE UP ALL MY CUPCAKES! **

**Astral: You're the one who gave it to them. Don't expect them to give it back.**

**Me: But I like cupcakes too!**

**Astral: (sighs) As we said at the beginning, the next chapter might be a while.**

**Me: Stupid piano exam.**

**Astral: It's on Monday. Get practicing.**

**Me: Fine. REVIEW!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Me: Yo! I'm back from my stupid faily exam! So here's the sixth chapter! **

**Astral: As for who guessed the mysterious card last chapter****—**

**Me: You'll have to read on to find out! **

**Astral: We do not own Yugioh ZEXAL in any way.**

**Me: Hey, don't you own part of it actually! Since you're a part of it and anything.**

**Astral: Shouldn't you mention it then?**

**Me: Sure! I do not own Astral either! Otherwise that would be just creepy!**

**Astral: That is not what I me****—**

**Me: And now onto the story!**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Normal is definately NOT Normal**

Yuma ran into his classroom, a big smile on his face. "Yo! Kotori!"

Kotori turned around in her seat, looking surprised. "Yuma?"

"What's up!" He sat down in his seat and leaned back in the chair. "Man, nee-chan kept me up all night with this weird talk about how I was acting until I finally convinced her that I'm fine!"

"So you're back Yuma?" Kotori asked, starting to smile.

"What are you talking about? I was always here! See? I'm standing firmly on the ground in this spot!" Yuma said and stood up. Kotori giggled.

"Nothing really. Class is starting so you should sit down at least."

"What? Oh! Right!" Yuma sat down and rested his head on his arms.

**One Boring Class Later**

"Tetsuo! Iincho! Yo!" Yuma waved to them. Their eyes widened as they ran over.

"Yuma? Are you…." Tetsuo stared.

"He seems better!" Kotori smiled.

"There's only one way to test it!" Tetsuo said and took out his d-pad.

"You're on!" Yuma took out his d-pad too.

Kotori grabbed them both by the ears.

"OW OW OW OW OW OW EAR EAR EAR EAR!"

"What is it Kotori! Ow!"

"It's still class time!" Kotori scolded. "If you're going to duel at least wait until school's over!"

She let go of their ears. They held them.

"Jeez Kotori!"

"Fine then!"

**Few Hours of Boring Class Later…..**

**RIIIIIING!**

"Well bye!" Yuma ran out the door before the teacher dismissed the class. Tetsuo ran, well, tried to run after Yuma. Kotori, Cat, and Takashi followed. Everyone else stared at the door, wondering why they were running so fast in the first place.

Finally, they got up and went down to look.

"Duel disk, set!" Yuma and Tetsuo threw their d-pads into the air and they unfolded.

"D-Gazer, set!" The d-gazer unfolded and they caught it.

"AR vision, link established." A mechanical voice said.

"DUEL!"

"I'll go first! Draw!" Tetuo drew a card. "I summon Tin Goldfish!" An orange mechanical goldfish rose up.

"Tin Goldfish's effect lets me summon another level 4 monster from my hand! I summon another Tin Goldfish!" A second goldfish came to join the first.

"The second Tin Goldfish's effect activates! I summon UFO Turtle!" A turtle with a UFO spacecraft as its shell flew over.

"I overlay my level three UFO Turtle and my two level three Tin Goldfishes!" The three machine monsters turned into light as they flew into the vortex forming on the ground. "I use these three monsters to build the overlay network! Exceed summon!"

A large mechanical man with a sword rose up. "Appear! Tinplate Archduke!"

"It's the first turn so you can't attack!" Yuma called.

"I know! I end my turn!" Tetsuo yelled back.

"Yuma-kun's at a serious disadvantage!" Takashi said. "Tetsuo-kun has a powerful monster on his side of the field."

"Kyattobingu yo! Yuma!" Cat-chan called. Kotori made a face at her.

"It's Kattobingu! Not Kyattobingu you stupid cat!" She yelled.

"Nyanda to! (what was that)" Cat-chan yelled. The two girls stared daggers at each other before turning away angrily.

"It's my turn! Draw!" Yuma called. "I'll start by summoning Goblindbergh in attack mode!" A goblin in a small place flew onto the field. "Goblindbergh's effect lets me summon another monster! I choose Achacha Archer!"

"Huh? Why'd he choose Achacha Archer?" Takashi wondered.

"Why?" Kotori asked.

"Well, Achacha Archer is a level three monster, while Goblindbergh is a level four. His effect would have allowed Yuma-kun another level four monster so he could exceed summon, but Yuma-kun chose not to. To summarize, Yuma-kun could have exceed summoned, but didn't!"

"Why would he do that?" Kotori turned back to the duel.

"Achacha Archer's effect activates! You take 500 points of damage!" The archer shot a flaming arrow at Tetsuo.

**Tetsuo: 3500**

**Yuma: 4000**

"From my hand, Kagetokage's effect activates! Since I summoned a level 4 monster, I can special summon it!" A black shadowy lizard crawled onto the field, it's red eyes glowing.

"Now I play the spell, Star Changer! It increases Achacha Archer's level by one! I overlay my level four Goblindbergh and my level four Achacha Archer! I build the overlay network with these two monsters! Exceed summon!"

A western man rose from the ground in attack mode. "Appear! Gagaga Gunman!"

"That's not enough to beat me Yuma!"

"I activate the spell Blustering Winds! This gives Gagaga Gunman an extra 1000 attack points!"

"So to summarize, Gagaga Gunman now has 2500 attack points and Tinplate Archduke has 2200!" Takashi said.

"So it's more powerful!" Kotori smiled and shouted.

"Yes, but not by much." Kotori looked at him.

"I'm still not done!" Yuma shouted. "I play the spell Mini-Guts! By sacrificing Kagetokage, Tinplate Archduke's attack points go down to zero and when he's destroyed, you take his original attack points as damage!"

"What?"

"Gagaga Gunman attacks!"

The man jumped out and fired two shots at Tinplate Archduke. Smoke burst from the explosion of the monster.

**Tetsuo: 1000**

**Yuma: 4000**

"Nice!" Kotori cheered.

"Now Mini-Guts' effect activates! You take 2200 points of damage!"

**Tetsuo: 0**

**Yuma 4000**

"Yuma won!" Kotori cheered and ran over.

"And in only one turn too!" Cat-chan also ran over. Takashi stayed behind.

"Since when did Yuma-kun get so good at dueling?" He wondered.

Kotori and Cat grabbed Yuma's arms and jumped up and down for joy. Tetsuo walked over.

"Nice duel Yuma!" He said.

"Thanks!" Yuma said back.

"So this means you're back to normal?" Takashi asked as he walked over.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yuma asked.

"Nothing really." Kotori interrupted. "So Yuma, if you're really back to normal, is Astral back too?"

"Astral?" Yuma frowned. "What's that?"

They stared.

"Well, I'll be going home now!" Yuma called out and started running. "Nee-chan wants me to get a scoop for her!" He ran down the street out of sight.

They stood there. "Is it possible Yuma-kun only regained a part of his memory?" Takashi asked.

"Maybe." Tetsuo said.

Kotori kept staring.

"Kotori, what is it?" Tetsuo asked.

"When Yuma ran past, I think I saw something shining on his hand. I didn't see it close enough though. It just looked like a glowing circle and a line..."

They all looked at each other. "Numbers!"

* * *

**Me: Anyone notice Yuma won that duel in one turn? Something strange is going on... Anyway, sorry again for the wait!**

**Astral: Her mom got angry at her.**

**Me: 'You spend too much time on your computer!' She says! Jeez! I'm a middle schooler! I'm a girl! I NEEEEEEEED the internet!**

**Astral: You do not need it. You just like it very much.**

**Me: Same thing! So now I'm uploading this quietly in my room. DON'T TELL MY MOM!**

**Astral: Review the chapter.**

**Me: Quietly!**

**Astral: You are not quiet.**

**Me: I CAN'T HELP IT! REVIEW!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Me: . . . . **

**Astral: She is upset.**

**Me: . . . . **

**Astral: Cheer up.**

**Me: . . . . No way. My one chance is GONE!**

**Astral: It is not that bad.**

**Me: Sure it is. (goes into corner and sulks)**

**Astral: (sighs) She just saw the newest Little Kuriboh video and saw that he would be going to Cos & Effect. It's really close to where she lives.**

**Me: Lisa and Shirley are going too. (sulks)**

**Astral: She wanted to go but then remembered that her parents are taking her and her family to an island for a week. The week when it's going on.**

**Me: I WANTED TO MEET LITTLEKURIBOH! WHY DOES LIFE HATE ME!**

**Astral: We do not own Yugioh Zexal.**

* * *

**Chapter 7: The Gathering of the Gatherer of Gathered Things That Gather**

"Numbers?" They all yelled.

"B-But," Takashi stuttered. "Even if it's a Numbers, what if it's Hope?"

"Why wouldn't Hope want Yuma to remember Astral?" Kotori yelled.

"W-Well…."

"Besides, it didn't look like a 39!"

"W-We—"

"And when Yuma duels with Hope, number markings don't show up on his body!"

"NYAAA!" Cat suddenly yelled. "WE SHOULD BE HELPING YUMA NOT ARGUING!"

They all stop and look at her. Cat-chan gulped.

"She's right!" Takashi said. "To summarize, we need to figure out what that Numbers is doing and then help Yuma-kun!"

"Right!" Kotori yelled. "So what do we do?"

**Meanwhile, in some other part of town….**

"That's boss for you!" A teenager thug congratulated.

"Boss has been winning duels like crazy lately!" Another said.

The big man in the middle of the room smirked. "Of course I win those duels! Every one of those maggots were no match for me!"

"Let's celebrate to another victory!"

"Soon we'll rule the Heartland Underground!"

**Many beers and stupid drunk stunts later…..**

The boss walked outside, getting some fresh air from all the drunkenness later. He held up a card and smiled. "All thanks to you."

"You have a Numbers, don't you?" A voice said behind him. He turned around.

"Who are you?"

"My name isn't important, although I need that Numbers!"

"No way!" The thug stuck the Numbers back in his deck case and faced the mysterious figure. "You want it, you'll have to go through me!"

"Sure." Something stepped out of the shadows. A young man wearing a black cloak that covered his entire body took out a red d-pad. The thug took out his green one. "You win and I leave you alone. I win and I get the Numbers."

"Duel disk set! D-gazer set! AR vision, link established! Duel!"

**One minute later….**

"Aaaaaagh!" The thug flew backwards and hit the wall hard.

"Sorry, but this is the end." The figure said.

"H-H-How can a monster d-do that?" The man shook and pointed at the large attacking monster.

"Finish it." The monster shot a stream of white energy at the thug directly. He screamed again.

**Thug: 0**

**? Man: 4000**

The man walked over to the unmoving thug. He picked up the thug's deck case, took a card out, and put it in his. "Sorry about that again." He started to walk away.

"W-Who are you?" The thug asked quietly. The man turned back and looked.

"Just call me the Gatherer." His red eyes glittered as he turned away and left. The thug fell unconscious again.

**And Next On The News….**

"The notorious thug, Rato Tdekof has been found unconscious in an alley. He has been sent to a hospital. All we can gather from the attack is that it was caused by someone called the Gatherer."

**The Next Day…**

"Hey! Did you hear about the attack?"

"The Gatherer sounds really cool!"

"I wonder who he is?"

"I'm kinda glad Rato's in the hospital."

**One Week Later Next On The News….**

"Five other criminals have been found unconscious. They all woke up shortly and gave the same story! The Gatherer appeared before them and duelled them. Then they all fell unconscious after they lost. The strange thing is that none of the criminals wish to be criminals anymore!"

**The Next Day….**

"Hey Yuma!" Kotori ran up to Yuma at school. She and the rest of Yuma's friends decided to just act normal around him to see if there was any other strange behaviour.

"What is it Kotori?"

"Have you heard about the Gatherer?"

"Of course! Hasn't everyone by now!"

"What do you think he's after?"

"Kotori-chan!" Two of Kotori's friends ran up to them.

"Sei! Sachi!"

"What are you talking about?"

"The Gatherer!"

"Oh he's so cool!" One of them squealed.

"He's like getting rid of all the bad guys!" The other shouted.

"Y-Yeah." What Kotori really wanted to talk about was how it seemed like the Gatherer seemed like a Numbers Hunter.

"Ne, Tsukumo-kun." Sei turned to Yuma. "Why aren't you wearing your pendant?"

"Well—"

"We should be getting to class!" Kotori interrupted. She grabbed Yuma's ear and pulled him all the way to class.

**Some Classes Later….**

"I'm challenging 20 stacks!" Yuma yelled. The teacher stacked them one by one.

"Hah!" Yuma ran as fast as he could and jumped up. He leapt all the way over the stacks without any trouble at all. Everyone stared as he turned back to them and gave a thumbs up. "Piece of cake!"

**After School…**

"Hey, what's Yuma doing?" Tetsuo asked.

"Well, usually at this time, Yuma-kun would be dueling!" Takashi said.

"Um," Cat-chan appeared and everyone jumped. "I saw Yuma dueling a classmate."

"Let's go!" They all ran to the courtyard.

**Meanwhile, Somewhere Else...**

**Yuma: 4000**

**Random Insignificant Guy Named Bob: 2000**

"It's my turn! I draw!" Yuma drew a card. "I summon Gagaga Magician!" The spellcaster appeared onto the field. "I change his level to eight!"

"Now I play Duplicate Reflections! This lets me duplicate Gagaga Magician as many times as the cards in my hand! I have five! So now I have five Gagaga Magicians!" A mirror appeared and Gagaga Magician reflected into five copies.

"I overlay my five level eight Gagaga Magicians! I build the overlay network with these five monsters! Exceed Summon!"

The five magicians flew into the vortex and fused. A gold light flashed as a mechanical white box rose from the ground. It unfolded one part at a time, until a white-gold metal dragon stood and roared.

"Appear! Numbers 1! Positive Force of Hope!"

* * *

**Me: I wasn't supposed to reveal that so early, but WHAT THE HECK!**

**Astral: You snapped out of that fast.**

**Me: . . . . please don't mention it. (goes back to sulking)**

**Astral: If you are wondering why we gave Numbers 1 a good name,**

**Me: It'll be revealed eventually. But at least now you know it is a Numbers.**

**Astral: Review the chapter.**

**Me: Let me say that for once!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Me: End of school year chapter!**

**Astral: Her school just let out.**

**Me: I know. IT'S SO NOT FAIR! EVERYONE ELSE GOT LET OUT SUCH A LONG TIME AGO AND NOW MY SCHOOL FINALLY LETS OUT!**

**Astral: Stop raging.**

**Me: I CAN'T HELP IT IT'S NOT FAIR JEEZ!**

**Astral: We do not own Yugioh Zexal.**

**Me: It's pronounced Zeal! Not Zexal you 4kids jerks!**

* * *

**Chapter 8: Mind peeking (it's not actually that perverted)**

"Attack!" Yuma yelled.

**Yuma: 4000**

**Bob: 0**

"Nice duel!" The AR around them disappeared as Kotori, Tetsuo, and the others run over.

"Yuma! Were you just dueling?" Kotori yelled

"Y-Yeah? What's wrong?"

Bob got up. "Wow! You're good!"

"Thanks!" Yuma replieed and they shook hands.

"What happened in the duel?" Kotori asked.

"Oh. Yuma won!"

"Really?"

"Yeah! He just…." Bob trailed off.

"He what?" Kotori asked.

"That's weird! I don't remember!" Bob scratched his head. "Oh well! See you tomorrow!" He walked out of the courtyard. Kotori looked at Yuma.

"He doesn't remember?"

"Eh, I don't remember that well either!" Yuma shrugged. "I just beat him. Anyway, I gotta get home! Akari wants me to get a scoop for her and she'll FREAK if I don't!" He ran out of the courtyard.

**During The Night…..**

"W-Who are you….." The robber backed into the wall and stared at the cloaked man in front of him.

"The Gatherer."

"The Gatherer? I heard of ya! But you can't take me down so easily!"

"We'll just see about that. I'll be taking your Numbers now."

"No way you're taking this guy!" The robber pulled out an exceed monster from his deck case. "Ever since I got him, I've been feeling REAL good!"

"I need to take it!"

"DUEL DISK, SET! D-GAZER, SET! DUEL!"

**The Next Day…**

"Did you hear? The Gatherer attacked again!" Sei said to Sachi and Kotori.

"Yeah!" Sachi replied excitedly. Kotori stopped walking.

"Kotori-chan?" They turned around and looked at Kotori.

"S-Sorry. I gotta go see Yuma!" She ran off into the school, leaving her two friends speechless.

**In Class…..**

"Kotori?" Yuma stared at Kotori, who had just ran into the class out of breath.

"Yuma! We need to talk!" She dragged Yuma's ear all the way into a stall in the girl's bathroom.

"Um, Kotori? This is the GIRLS bathroom! What if someone finds out we're here!" Yuma whisper-shouted.

"I just need to talk to you without other people interrupting!" She hissed back and took a breath.

"Yuma! Are you being possessed by a Numbers?"

Yuma stared at her. "Well, I wouldn't exactly call it possessed." He finally said.

"You are?" Kotori stared.

"But Yuma let me!" Yuma added. Kotori stared some more.

"Why?"

"I'll let you talk to him." Yuma put his hand on top of Kotori's head and said a spell. Kotori went limp as her consciousness floated into Yuma's.

**In Yuma's Mind….**

Everything was white in the place Kotori landed in. She looked around. Someone was standing a few meters away from her.

"Yuma!" She yelled. He turned around.

"Kotori!" He smiled and ran over.

"What are you doing in here? What is this place? Are you really Yuma? You're not the Numbers, are you? Everything's so confusing!"

"Calm down with the questions! I'll explain now!" Yuma calmed her down and opened his mouth to speak.

**After School….(You'll see the rest later….)**

"See you tomorrow Yuma!" Tetsuo called from his seat.

"Yeah! See ya!" Yuma picked up his backpack and started to walk to the door.

**BANG!**

Guns fired.

"What was that?" A classmate yelled.

"It came from outside!" Another yelled.

All the classmates ran to the windows to look. Three black-haired brothers were standing outside, each holding two guns.

"WE'RE TAKING THIS SCHOOL HOSTAGE!" One yelled.

"IF YOU WANT THESE BRATS FREE, THEN PAY US 3 MILLION DOLLARS!" The second yelled.

"WE WANT IT BY TONIGHT OR WE'LL KILL AN ENTIRE CLASS FOR EVERYDAY THE MONEY ISN'T FORKED OVER!" The third yelled.

"What should we do?" A girl asked worriedly.

"Students! Remain calm and stay inside the class!" Ukyo-sensei yelled. The students stopped yelling and calmed themselves down. They all huddled together in groups of friends.

"I recognize those guys!" Takashi said as he, Tetsuo, Tokunosuke, Kotori, and Cat-chan, huddled together. "They were on the news! They go around stealing money from everywhere! Stores, banks, people, anything!"

"So now they want money!" Cat-chan whispered.

"They're also ruthless! To summarize, they'd have no trouble killing us to get money!"

"How is that supposed to make us feel better-ura!" Tokunosuke whisper-shouted.

"Maybe if we stay quiet they'll forget about our class!" Tetsuo said.

**BANG!**

Another gunshot rang in the air.

"WHO ARE YOU!" One of the guys outside yelled. Everyone rushed to the window again. A black cloaked man was standing in front of the three terrorists.

"The Gatherer." Even though the man said it quietly, everyone in the school heard it. One of the thugs actually stepped back, then regained his posture.

"The Gatherer? I heard about you on the news! You think you can beat us?" One shouted.

"You're after these, right?" Another said and took out a card. The other two others also each brought out a card.

"I'll win those from you now." The Gatherer said.

"D-Don't think you can beat us so easily!" The left one said.

"Introduce yourself before you say something like that."

"I'm Kurokawa!" The one on the left shouted.

"I'm Kuroda!" The middle one shouted.

"I'm Kurokurokuro!" The one on the right shouted. Everyone in the school stared at him. "What?"

"This needs to end now. So to make this faster, I'll duel all three of you at once." The Gatherer said and took out a red D-Pad.

"You'll regret ever getting in our way!" Kuroko shouted.

"We'll see about that."

The three black brothers threw their black D-Pads into the air, and the Gatherer threw his red one as well. "DUEL DISK, SET!"

Then they threw their d-gazer's next. "D-GAZER, SET!"

"AR Vision, link established." A mechanical voice said.

"DUEL!"

* * *

**Me: And now we got a duel between the Gatherer and the three terrorist dudes!**

**Astral: Kuro means black, if you were wondering.**

**Me: Kurokurokurokurokuro! I wanted to name him that but it would have been too long!**

**Astral: I think you should stop talking in case you give away any spoilers.**

**Me: Oh come on! Only you ever do that! And it's not like I'll accidentally say something like****—**

**Astral: Spoiling.**

**Me: Ack! Dang it! Good thing you're here!**

**Astral: Now you admit it?**

**Me: And now bad thing you're here!**

**Astral: Observation 54: Humans change their minds very quickly.**

**Me: That's nice. Now, REVIEW!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Me: I'm panicking. This chapter is all duel. Dang. It's gonna take a while!**

**Astral: This is a document. Your readers cannot see you panicking or stalling.**

**Me: They can't? Oh good! In that case, AAAAAAAAAA**

**Astral: They can see you type.**

**Me: AAAAAAAAA oh. But still, panicking on a computer is FUN!**

**Astral: (sighs) We do not own Yugioh Zexal**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Dueling the Gathererrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr**

"DUEL!"

Everyone in the school put on their D-Gazers.

"I wonder what kind of deck the Gatherer uses?" Tetsuo asked.

"I guess we'll see." Takashi said.

"I'll go first! Draw!" Kurokawa drew a card. "I summon Blackwing, Shura the Blue Flame!" The blue bird warrior appeared. "Gale the Whirlwind's effect activates from my hand and I can summon him! Another Gale's effect activates from my hand. So now I have three monsters! I end my turn! You're lucky this is the first turn and I can't attack, or you'd be toast!"

The Gatherer ignored him, and a vein appeared on Kurokawa's head.

"My turn! Draw!" Kuroda drew a card. "I summon Blackwing Zephyros the Elite! Bora the Spear's effect activates from my hand and I can special summon him! Guess what? I also have a Gale the Whirlwind in my hand! And I'm summoning it too! I end my turn!"

"All attack and no back-up, huh?" The Gatherer looked at the monsters on his opponents' fields.

"Let's see if you can break through our attack then! It's my turn! Draw!" Kurokurokuro drew a card. "I summon Blackwing, Mistral the Silver Sword in defense mode! Gladius's effect activates! I can summon Blackwing, Gladius the Midnight Sun! Like my brothers, I also have a Gale the Whirlwind! And I'm also summoning it! I end my turn!"

"The Gatherer has to deal with nine monsters!" Takashi stared.

"This is bad!" Kotori yelled.

"My turn. I draw." The Gatherer drew a card and looked at the cards in his hand. He knew that since he was at school, he couldn't risk revealing too much about his deck or else people would recognize him. "First, I play Pot of Greed. This lets me draw two cards. Now I play the spell Thunder Short. You each take 400 points of damage for each monster on your field."

Lightning struck down from the sky.

**Gatherer: 4000**

**Kurokawa: 2800**

**Kuroda: 2800**

**Kurokurokuro: 2800**

"I play Scapegoat!" Four small multi-colored goats appeared on his field in defense mode. "Now I switch two of them to attack mode! I play two Blustering Winds and give both 1000 attack points to the red one!" The Gatherer pointed to the attack position red scapegoat, whose attack points went up to 2000.

"I play Stop Defense! This changes Mistral to attack mode! Attack Mistral the Silver Sword!"

**Gatherer: 4000**

**Kurokawa: 2800**

**Kuroda: 2800**

**Kurokurokuro: 900**

"I place three facedowns and end my turn." The Gatherer said. Everyone stared at him.

"He didn't use any actual monsters other than Scapegoat!" Cat-chan exclaimed.

"That was amazing!" Kotori shouted.

"But that other scapegoat," Tetsuo looked at the field.

"What is it?" Takashi asked.

"He has two in attack mode. One of them has 2000 attack points because of the two Blustering Winds. The other has zero! That's a huge opening for his opponent!"

Kurokawa scowled. "It's my turn! Draw! I sacrifice a Gale to summon Blackwing Sirocco the Dawn!" A large bird warrior appeared.

"Sirocco the Dawn's effect activates! Once per turn, I choose a Blackwing on my field, and all of the other Blackwing's attack points get added to it other than Sirocco the Dawn! I choose Blackwing Gale the Whirlwind on my field! So now Gale the Whirlwind's attack points go up to 11100!"

"What?" Kotori stared.

"One hundred eleven thousand attack points?" Tetsuo yelled.

"That'll destroy the Gatherer-ura!" Tokunosuke shouted.

Kurokawa laughed loudly. "This is it! Looks like you're not much of a match for me anyway! I didn't even have to use my Numbers!"

The Gatherer didn't talk.

Kurokawa scowled. "Gale the Whirlwind! End this duel! Attack the scapegoat with 0 attack points!"

The small bird grew in size as it absorbed the attack points until it dominated over the field. It charged up a beam, then shot it at the defenseless scapegoat.

"I activate my trap, Half Unbreak! My scapegoat can't be destroyed in battle and all damage to me is halved."

"That's still 5550 points of damage!"

"I activate my second trap, Damage Diet! This halves the damage again."

"He's going to make it!" Kotori smiled.

"I activate my third trap, Bye Bye Damage! Any damage I take is doubled against you!"

"What?" The trap appeared and a vortex shot him across the courtyard.

**Gatherer: 1225**

**Kurokawa: 0**

**Kuroda: 2800**

**Kurokurokuro: 900**

"Kurokawa!" The other two black brothers yelled.

"Teme…."

"You took down our brother!"

"It's my turn!" Kuroda draws. "Because of Sirocco's effect, none of the other Blackwings can attack." Kuroda snarls. "I overlay my level 4 Zephyros the Elite and my level 4 Bora the Spear! I build the overlay network with these two monsters. Exceed summon!"

A mechanical black nest rose from the ground. "Appear! Numbers 35! Black Net of Doom!" It unfolded until a black net shining darkly stood upright on Kuroda's field.

"Numbers!" Kotori shouted.

"He has one!" Tetsuo yelled.

"But it only has 400 attack points-ura!" Tokunosuke shouted.

Everyone in the school starts whispering about these newly discovered Numbers.

"I remove one overlay unit from Black Net of Doom! One monster on your field is destroyed! I choose the scapegoat with 2000 attack points! Go! Capture net!" One edge of the net shot out and wrapped around the powerful token. It exploded with a squeal.

"I can't attack the turn I use this effect, but I couldn't attack anyway! I end my turn with that!" Kuroda shouted triumphantly.

"It's my turn! Draw!" Kurokurokuro drew. "I overlay my level three Gale the Whirlwind and my level three Gladius the Midnight Sun! I build the Overlay Network with these two level three monsters! Exceed summon!"

A black mechanical egg appeared. "Appear! Black Egg of Doom!" Two small legs and arms shot out of the eggshell, and two beady little eyes popped open at the top.

"Um, is it just me, or does that thing look creepy…" Kotori stared.

"I end my turn with that! But just wait until you see his ability! You'll be begging for mercy!"

"It's my turn then. I draw." The Gatherer drew.

"O-Oi! Are you listening to me?" Kurokurokuro yelled. The Gatherer ignored him.

"I set one card facedown and end my turn." He said.

"What? That's it!" Kuroda scoffed.

The Gatherer didn't answer.

"Fine! It's my turn! I draw! Black Net of Doom, attack that scapegoat!" Kuroda yells and points at a green scapegoat. The Numbers flew forwards and sliced the scapegoat with its strings.

**Gatherer: 825**

**Kuroda: 2800**

**Kurokurokuro: 900**

"I end my turn!" Kuroda smirked.

"It's my turn! I draw!" Kurokurokuro yelled. "Here it comes! I remove one overlay unit from Black Egg of Doom! By halving half my life points, I can remove two monsters from your graveyard!

**Gatherer: 825**

**Kuroda: 2800**

**Kurokurokuro: 450**

"But the Gatherer has no monsters in his graveyard!" Tetsuo shouted.

"What? But wouldn't that mean that it was useless?" Kotori asked.

"Yeah! To summarize, he just wasted half his life points!" Takashi shouted.

"I guess he's just not that good of a duelist as he thought-ura!" Tokunosuke said.

"I have no monsters in my graveyard. You just wasted your lifepoints." The Gatherer said.

"What?" Kurokurokuro thought back to earlier in the duel, his eyes widening when he realized his mistake. "W-Well, Black Egg of Doom, attack the blue scapegoat!"

"But that egg only has 300 attack points!" Kotori shouted.

"It's still enough to beat the scapegoat." Tetsuo said.

"I activate my trap, Overlay Buster. This adds 500 attack points to the scapegoat you just chose to attack." The Gatherer said.

"What?" Kurokurokuro shouted.

**Gatherer: 825**

**Kuroda: 2800**

**Kurokurokuro: 250**

"Hah! Black Egg is a Numbers, so it can only be destroyed by another Numbers!"

"Overlay Buster has another effect. Since you attacked me with an Exceed Monster, you take 500 points of damage for each overlay unit. There was one, but that's enough."

"What?"

A beam of red light shot from the trap, knocking the second black brother into the wall.

**Gatherer: 825**

**Kuroda: 2800**

**Kurokurokuro: 0**

"Kurokurokuro!" Kuroda yelled. "Teme….I'm gonna get revenge on you for my brothers!"

"We'll see. It's my turn. I draw." The Gatherer drew from his D-Pad. "I play Card of Demise. This lets me draw up to five cards in my hand, but in five turns, I have to discard my entire hand. Not that we'll make it past five turns."

"What?" Kuroda stared.

"First I play the continuous spell, Double Defender. Since I have two monsters in defense mode, I can negate one of your attacks." The spell shot out two beams of light, which surrounded the two defending scapegoats.

"I place two cards facedown and end my turn."

Kuroda stared. "T-That's it? You're not going to summon any monsters or attack? Ha! You were right about us not making it past five turns! I'm ending this now!"

"He is?" Tetsuo shouted.

"Can he?" Kotori shouted.

"It's my turn! Draw! I summon Blackwing, Breeze the Zephyr! Now I can summon Gale the Whirlwind from my hand!"

"He now has four monsters on his field!" Kotori shouted.

"Kurokawa! I'm gonna use your Numbers!" Kuroda yelled.

"Okay!" Kurokawa threw a card over to Kuroda.

"Is that allowed?" Tetsuo ask-shouted.

"I'm not sure!" Takashi said.

"I overlay my level three Blackwing, Breeze the Zephyr and my level three Blackwing, Gale the Whirlwind! I build the overlay network with these two level three monsters! Exceed summon!"

A black pair of wings flew onto the field. "Appear! Numbers 37! Black Wing of Doom!"

"A third Numbers!" Cat shouted.

"By removing one overlay unit, I can summon a level four or below monster from my deck! I remove both overlay units to summon two Blackwing, Sirocco the Dawn!"

"Now he has five monsters!" Kotori exclaimed.

"How's the Gatherer going to get out of this?" Tetsuo shouted.

"Two Numbers and three powerful monsters!" Takashi yelled.

"This is bad-ura!" Tokunosuke stared at the monsters.

"It's over! I win! Sirocco the Dawn attacks that scapegoat!" Kuroda pointed at the one on the left.

"Double Defender's effect activates. I can negate this attack." The spell shone and a shield appeared. The bird bounced off the shield.

"I still have four other monsters!" Kuroda shouted.

"Before you attack, I activate the trap, Just Desserts. This causes you 500 points of damage for each monster on your field." The Gatherer activated his trap.

"Amazing!" Kotori shouted.

"He has five monsters! To summarize, he's taking 2500 points of damage!" Takashi yelled, impressed by the move.

"The Gatherer turned Kuroda's attacking force against him!" Tetsuo shouted.

A beam of red and purple light shot from the trap, hit Kuroda's monsters, multiplied and hit Kuroda directly.

**Gatherer: 825**

**Kuroda: 300**

"Tch! Why you…. It's not over yet!" Kuroda yelled. "I'm still going to win! My other Sirocco the Dawn attacks the same scapegoat! End this duel!"

"I activate my trap, Negate Attack. This negates the attack and ends the battle phase." The trap opened and blocked the attack.

"He held through!" Kotori shouted happily.

"He's going to win!" Cat also shouted.

"T-That ends my turn." Kuroda said reluctantly. "But just you wait! You're finished next turn!"

"I doubt it." The Gatherer drew his card. "This duel is over."

"What?" Kuroda stared.

The Gatherer sighed. He showed the card he just drew. Kuroda's eyes widened.

"O-Oozaki?"

"Huh?" Kotori was confused. "What's Oozaki?"

"It's a really powerful card." Tetsuo answered. Kotori looked at her friend. "You're opponent automatically takes 800 points of damage."

"800?" Kotori looked back at the duel. "Then that means…."

"I play the spell, Oozaki!" The Gatherer placed the card into his D-Pad. "You take 800 points of damage!"

"No way!" Fire shot from the card and surrounded Kuroda's side of the field. He screamed as his life points dropped to zero.

**Gatherer: 825**

**Kuroda: 0**

"He won!" Kotori cheered.

"The Gatherer won!" Cat cheered.

"We're safe!" Tetsuo yelled.

Everyone in the school yelled happily and cheered. They were glad the bad guys were now no threat.

The Gatherer walked over to the three black brothers and picked up each one of their Numbers.

Police sirens rang through the air. Soldiers ran into the school and arrested the three thugs. Some went into the school to get eye witness testaments from the students. Eventually, things settled down and the students went home.

Nobody noticed the Gatherer slip away undetected during the confusion.

* * *

**Me: Wow duels are hard to write! There's so much research! **

**Astral: She does not like using made up cards, but the Numbers have to be.**

**Me: I made Kurokurokuro an idiot because it's fun!**

**Astral: She could have made him way too serious but had no idea how to play the game.**

**Me: Oh yeah! Try and guess who the Gatherer is!**

**Astral: They cannot guess if it is an OC.**

**Me: But it's not an OC!**

**Astral: It isn't?**

**Me: Hmmmmmm I'm not telling! I think it is, but it might not be, but then it probably isn'tly is or something like that! It might be an OC though.**

**Astral: You are not making sense.**

**Me: IT'S FUN! WHOEVER CAN GUESS WHO HE/SHE/HE/IT/HE IS WILL GET A LITTLE SISTER FANFIC DEDICATED TO HIM/HER/IT!**

**Astral: You are bringing your little sister into this?**

**Me: Sure! Why not! Review~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~nyeh~~~~~~~~~~whoo!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Me: Tenth chapter! First off, let me start by saying YOU GUYS ARE CRAZY! AWESOMELY CRAZY! I POSTED IT THURSDAY AND THEN WENT TO SLEEP AND THEN I WOKE UP AT SIX IN THE MORNING ON FRIDAY (don't ask why I have weird sleeping habits) AND SAW THERE WAS NO NEW EMAIL AND THEN ONE MINUTE LATER I GET A REVIEW AND THEN WHEN I'M DONE READING IT ANOTHER EMAIL COMES IN SAYING ANOTHER PERSON REVIEWED AND THEN IT WENT ON FOR A WHOLE 15 MINUTES MY INBOX WAS PRACTICALLY FILLED WITH REVIEWS AND STORY ALERTS AND STUFF AND****—**

**Astral: That's enough yelling.**

**Me: BUT I'M NOT DONE SINCE THIS IS THE TENTH CHAPTER WE WILL BE CELEBRATING! YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS!**

**Astral: She will be posting another little sister fanfic.**

**Me: JUST YOU WAIT FOR MY LITTLE SISTER TO GET HERE!**

**Astral: It will be very crazy. You will know what it will be like if you have read her other fanfic involving her little sister.**

**Me: Also, if anyone guessed who Bob is****—**

**Astral: Bob? Wasn't he that stickman Daniel created in grade 4?**

**Me: What? Oh! I meant the Gatherer! If anyone guessed who the Gatherer is, you'll probably find out later and blah blah blah! And yeah, Bob was that stickman that Daniel made. It was funny! Bob the Super Stickman!**

**Astral: (sighs) We do not own Yugioh Zexal. You do know it is properly spelt Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL.**

**Me: That's too much work!**

* * *

**Chapter 10: A fiction story based on a real life fiction story inside a fiction story of a fiction story (am I the only one who's confused?)**

After the Gatherer and the three black brothers left, all the students had been let out and went home. Yuma pushed open the door of his house and yelled "I'm home!" He started to walk upstairs.

"YUMA!" Akari yelled. Yuma froze.

"N-Nee-chan?" He turned around slowly. Akari was standing, arms crossed, at the bottom of the staircase.

"Yuma! Tell me everything that happened at your school!"

"W-Why?"

"Why? WHY?" She looked like she was going to explode. "BECAUSE I NEED IT FOR MY SCOOP THAT'S WHY!"

"A-And why do you need me…."

A vein popped on her head. "Just tell me everything now BEFORE I TAKE AWAY YOUR DECK FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR!"

"Ack! Okay okay! I'll tell you!" Then Yuma started telling everything to his sister, leaving out some parts though.

**The Next Day….**

"That was some duel!" Tokunosuke said happily the next day as he and the others walked to school. He was still amazed by what had happened.

"I know! The Gatherer is like a hero!" Takashi said back.

"It really was amazing!" Tetsuo shouted.

The entire school was buzzing with gossip about the Gatherer's visit to their school. They talked about the duel, who the Gatherer might be, where he would appear next, and who he might date (the crazy fangirls).

"I just thought of something." Kotori said. Everyone looked at her.

"What is it?" Yuma asked.

"Well, the people who attacked our school had a Numbers. So the Gatherer probably has a way to track down the Numbers!"

"So what's your point?"

"Who do we know that can track down Numbers?"

They all thought for a moment.

"Uhhh…"

"Who?"

"Kaito!" Kotori shouted.

"Kaito?" Tetsuo exclaimed.

"Yes! Kaito!"

"I don't think it's Kaito." Yuma said. They all looked at him.

"Why?"

"Well, yesterday, when the Gatherer duelled, it just didn't seem like Kaito's way of dueling. Kaito uses his Photon deck really well, and he finishes off his opponent with Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon. Using regular spells and traps just doesn't see like the way he would duel!" Yuma finished.

"Hmm, that is true…" Tetsuo thought about it. "Kaito doesn't seem like that type of duelist."

"Kyat! Why are we worrying about this! We should just be glad we're safe!" Cat shouted.

"Speaking of which," They looked at the large clock in the middle of the courtyard.

"WE'RE LATE!" They ran to the door as fast as they could, shoving and pushing people aside to get to class.

**Some Running and Pushing and Trips to the Infirmary Later….**

"Huff, huff, huff, made, it," Yuma collapsed into his seat. Kotori collapsed next to him.

"This, would, have, huff, never, happened, huff, if, huff, you, were, always, late!" She whisper-shouted to him.

"I'm, not, always, LATE!" Yuma yelled.

Ukyo-sensei cleared his throat. Yuma froze and looked over slowly. "Ahehe…..sorry." He immediately sat down. Ukyo sighed.

"As I was saying before, our class will be holding a play to be performed in front of the entire school for the school festival. You can also invite your relatives to this event if you like. Now we're deciding what the play should be about." He finished.

Everyone started whispering to each other about the topic. Many ideas were tossed around. A pirate treasure hunt, school drama, vampire horror, rainbow unicorns, and an alien invasion. People started shouting out their play ideas to everyone else.

"Hey!" Someone shouted. "Everyone knows how awesome the Gatherer was yesterday, right?" Everyone nodded and whispered about the topic.

"Well, why don't we do a play about the Gatherer and him helping people?" Some kids' eyes widened and others immediately started whispering to their friends.

"That's actually a pretty good idea!" Someone else shouted.

"Yeah!"

"That's a great idea!"

"Let's do it!"

Ukyo cleared his throat. "Alright then! Let's do a vote! Who wants to use the Gatherer idea?"

Everyone raised their hands and cheered. Ukyo-sensei nodded. "Okay then, we'll get started on the idea right away! Who wants to create the story and write the script and assign the parts?"

Three girls, including Kotori and Cat, raised their hands. "Kotori, Okimi, Hana, you four will be in charge of writing the script and assigning the parts. Now who wants to make the costumes?"

Cat and Takashi put their hands up. "Cathy, Takashi, you two will report to Kotori and the others once they finish planning the script to learn whose costumes you should get. Until then, you should probably measure everyone so you can make the costumes fit when their decided. Now who wants to get the props?"

Tetsuo and Tokunosuke put their hands up. "Good. Tetsuo, Tokunosuke, report to Kotori and the others and find out what props we'll need and find them."

**Okay, the rest of the sorting went on and stuff. Let's skip some and blah blah blah later…..**

"So for everyone who doesn't have a job, you can just help around, at least until the girls announce the parts and we can start practicing. You can get to work now." Ukyo-sensei finished.

"Alright! Let's get to work!" Yuma yelled. Everyone cheered.

**One Week Later…..**

"We've decided the story!" Hana announced.

"It's going to start with criminals invading the city, then the Gatherer will come and help everyone! It's a happy ending!" Okimi shouted.

"It's more detailed than Okimi says." Kotori said. "But for now, we'll be handing out the scripts. We'll have auditions to see who plays what part." She grabbed a stack of books and started handing them out down the row. The other two girls did the same.

"Oi Yuma!" Kotori whispered in Yuma's ear as she put a copy of the script on his desk. "Wake up! This is important!"

"Nnnnn…." Yuma snored. "Five more minutes…."

Kotori's eyebrow twitched and she grabbed Yuma's cheek. Yuma yelled as he jumped up right away. "Kotori!"

Kotori stared at him angrily as the rest of the class laughed at them. Yuma glanced around. Kotori sighed. "Just read the script and decide what character you want to play."

"I already know!" Yuma smiled up at her. "I wanna try out for the Gatherer!" Kotori stared at him some more.

"You do know that everyone's going to try for that role, right? He's the main character so of course it's going to be hard to get."

Yuma stared at her. "Really?"

"You didn't know? Here. Watch." She turned to the rest of the class. "Who wants to try out for the Gatherer?"

Most of the boys put their hands up, along with some of the girls too. Yuma stared at them. "Oh." Is all he said.

"Now do you want to rethink your choice and try for an easier role?" Kotori put her hands on her hips.

"Nope! I'll just beat everyone else!" Yuma fist pumped.

Kotori sighed. "Man. You really are an idiot! You do know that if you don't get the part you're just a backstage helper, right?"

"Well then I'll just get the part!"

Kotori sighed again. This play was going to be interesting!

She had no idea how interesting it would really be!

* * *

**Me: Yes. No idea at all… But they're having a play about the Gatherer performed in front of the entire school! Will Yuma get the part? Wait why am I asking you guys I'M IN CHARGE OF THIS STORY! DON'T STEAL MY CREDITS! Why am I yelling again? Oh whatever just tune in next time!**

**Astral: Until then, she will be posting the fanfic with her little sister soon.**

**Me: This one is about, hang on a minute…**

**(grabs idea notebook)**

**Me: Um….in this one my little sister is a fortune teller and will be telling the Yugioh Zexal's character's futures….yeah. . . . uh. . . . read it if you want a laugh. Yeah. . . .**

**Astral: There is a poll on her page on whether or not she will post a fanfic about…what was it about?**

**Me: It's about all the times you were annoying to me. YUMA'S NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO GETS ANNOYED BY THIS BLUE SPIRIT! I'M HERE TOO YA KNOW! So vote on whether or not you want to see EXACTLY how annoying Astral is.**

**Astral: Anyway, here are the scores for who you guys think the Gatherer is! When he's really revealed, everyone who guessed right will get a little sister fanfic to them.**

**Me: You tell my little sister a random idea and she'll turn it random! It'll be fun! Anyway, here:**

**Kaito/Kite: 1**

**Yuma: 7**

**III: 1**

**Me: Wow a lot of people think it's Yuma! So Astral, is it?**

**Astral: (sweat-drops) You're the one directing this story. You should know.**

**Me: Anyway, for now, PARTY! Everyone gets a cookie for every time they reviewed and story alerted and favourited this story! Plus if you review this time, you get two slices of cake! We have chocolate, vanilla, black forest, mango covered, fruit-filled, angel food cake, and blackberry cheesecake! Make your pick! Choose two slices of cake and dig in!**

**Astral: And now it is time for (sighs) karaoke.**

**Me: LET'S GO! SING ALONG!**

**(BRAVING starts playing in background)**

_**Chikazuite te o nobashita ashita e to tsuzuku hikari  
Ashimoto ni hirogaru kono sekai no yume o mita**_

_**Yume to kibou wa doko ni aru nante shiranai yo**_  
_**Hashirimawatte sagashite mo mitsukaranai**_  
_**Shinjitsu to uso no hazama ni ochiteiru no ka na**_  
_**Bokura no monogatari nara hajimatte mo inai**_

_**Ashita e tsuzuku kuzureochi sou na michi mo**_  
_**Yowaki naru mae ni tobidashite ikou**_

_**Chikazuite too no ite iku shinjitsu o tsukamu tame ni**_  
_**Mienai mirai kara kibou o sagashidasu**_  
_**Dare yori mo katai kokoro mi ni tsukete kakeagaru yo**_  
_**Yowasa to tatakatte kachiagaru tsuyosa o**_  
_**Mitsukeru tame ni kakegae no nai nakama to**_  
_**Ashimoto ni hirogaru kono sekai no asu o mita**_

_**Tachidomattari, furikaeri koukai shitari to**_  
_**Ore sou ni naru kokoro o kakae nagara**_  
_**Kuragari kara hikaru ishi o sagashiateru you ni**_  
_**Bokura no monogatari kara akashi mitsuketai**_

_**Hitorikiri da to omotteita kako nante**_  
_**Asu o tsukuru tame no michi de shika nai**_

_**Sashinobete tsukamitotta katachi no nai taisetsu na mono**_  
_**Nando mo ushinatte nando mo torimodosu**_  
_**Osanasa o yowasa toshite nigeteita boku jishin o**_  
_**Tsuranuita kotoba ga kokoro o ugokashita**_  
_**Mou nigenai yo kakegae no nai nakama ga**_  
_**Sasaete kureru kara, kono sekai o ikite iku**_

_**Shinjitai to negau dake**_  
_**Ashita ga kureba ii na to omou dake de**_  
_**Nani mo shinai jibun nante**_  
_**Mou doko ni mo inai, shinjitsu o shiritai kara.**_

_**Chikazuite too no ite iku shinjitsu o tsukamu tame ni**_  
_**Mienai mirai kara kibou o sagashidasu**_

_**Dare yori mo katai kokoro mi ni tsukete kakeagaru yo**_  
_**Yowasa to tatakatte kachiagaru tsuyosa o**_  
_**Dare yori mo tsuyoi omoi dare yori mo mochitsuzukeru**_  
_**Morosa no ura ni aru hontou no tsuyosa o**_  
_**Mitsukeru tame ni kakegae no nai nakama to**_  
_**Ashimoto ni hirogaru kono sekai no asu o mita**_

**Me: WOOOH! BE SURE TO PICK UP YOUR CAKE AND COOKIES! AND VOTE FOR WHO YOU THINK THE GATHERER IS! AND LEAVE AN IDEA FOR MY LITTLE SISTER IF YOU FEEL LIKE IT! AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK OF BOB THE SUPER STICKMAN! AND A REVIEW ALONG THE WAY!**

**Astral: See you next chapter then.**

**Me: REVIEW! AND HERE! HAVE A BALLOON!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Me: Hi! Astral's not around for some reason! So I'm the only one here! Weird, huh?**

**Uh…**

**Uh…**

**Um…**

**Well…**

**Eh…**

**Wow it's boring when Astral's not around! So, uh, I do not own Yugioh Zexal, I guess.**

**. . .**

**. . .**

**. . .**

**So, since there's nothing really to do, um, I guess it's on to the story then?**

**. . .**

**. . .**

**Sure why not. It's not like there's anything to do without Astral here!**

* * *

**Chapter 11: Failing the Auditions in more ways than one**

"Auditions are being held today at lunch in the gym!" Hana shouted to the class. "Bring your audition form and your script!"

"The results will be posted tomorrow!" Kotori said. "For now, go to the gym and get ready to audition!"

The three girls walked out of the classroom, and soon half of the class followed.

"Tetsuo, who are you auditioning for?" Yuma asked as they walked down the hall.

"Tom."

"Who's that?"

Tetsuo sweat-dropped. "Didn't you read the script?"

"Nah! Too troublesome!"

**Meanwhile, in an alternate anime universe….**

A lazy black haired chunnin woke up from his nap and looked at the clouds. "Huh? Could've swore…."

He stared at the drifting clouds and went back to sleep. "Troublesome…."

**Sorry! Couldn't resist doing that! Anyway, back to the universe where card games rule…**

"So who's Tom?" Yuma asked.

"He's the main character of this play!"

"And. . . . what exactly is the play about?"

Tetsuo sighed. "The Gatherer helps people around the city from the bad guys. Tom's just a regular kid in the beginning, but then a really bad guy called The Force of Hate shows up and he's too much for the Gatherer. The Force of Hate then attacks Tom's school. The Gatherer tries to stop him, but he can't, and the Tom helps. The Force of Hate is defeated and disappears, and the Gatherer thanks Tom."

"Oh!"

"Then a week later the Force of Hate appears again, this time with bunch more people for back-up! They defeat the Gatherer and his identity is revealed! It turns out the Gatherer is Tom's best friend from school, a kid called Steve. Then Tom steps in and saves the school from the Force of Hate with his dueling! It's a happy ending!"

"Now I get it!" Yuma smiled. "But then, it's not that realistic."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, there's no way the Gatherer would be defeated by some Force of Hate! He's super strong!"

"It is a play!" Tetsuo said as they walked into the gym and lined up behind the line of students auditioning. A large curtain was put up around the stage so nobody could see or hear the audition.

"Yuma-kun! Tetsuo-kun!" Takashi ran into the gym and waved at them.

"Iinchou!" Yuma waved him over.

"So to summarize, you two are auditioning too!" Takashi said.

"Yeah!" Yuma gave him a thumbs up.

"So who are you trying out for?" Tetsuo asked.

"Of course it's Tom!"

"I am too!"

"Cool!"

"So you're both trying out for one character?" Yuma looked back and for the between the two.

"Yeah!"

"But there's only one character."

"And?"

"That means one of you isn't going to get it."

"Of course I'm going to get it!" They answered together and glared at each other.

"I'm going to get it!" Tetsuo shouted.

"It's going to be me!" Takashi shouted back.

Lightning shot between their eyes. Yuma took a step back.

"Next!" Kotori's voice was heard from behind the curtain. "Tsukumo Yuma!"

"My turn then!" Yuma shouted and ran to the stage.

"Yuma! Your audition form!" Kotori held out her hand from over the large desk she and the other two girls were sitting at.

"Right!" Yuma stuck his hands in his pockets and dug around. His eyes went back and forth and he rummaged around. "Uh…"

"Yuma?"

"Not here, not here, not here! I can't find my sheet!" Yuma shouted.

Kotori sighed. "Mou, you really are an idiot!"

"Kotori-chan, does this mean he can't audition?" Hana asked. Kotori looked at her and Okimi, then back at Yuma begging to her silently on his knees, his eyes shining up at her. She sighed again.

"Yuma! Just this one time! If it happens again you aren't gonna get a free pass!"

"Yes!" Yuma jumped up off his knees. "Now, how do you audition?"

Kotori sweat-dropped. "The section that you perform for us is highlighted in the script. You perform that part and then we judge you."

"Oh! Soooooooo, which part is highlighted?" Yuma cocked his head. The three girls stared.

"It's super clear in the script! Only one page! Just perform it!" Kotori said desperately.

"In the script? Oh yeah! I accidentally dropped my duel rice ball on it! And when I was cleaning up the rice, I spilt soy-sauce on it! The whole script got soggy so I left it on my house's windowsill to dry! But some birds came along and started pecking at it! Who knew that birds like soy sauce flavoured paper? But then Nee-chan shooed them away, but the first ten pages were ruined! Nee-chan thought it was disgusting and pushed it off the windowsill, right into the trash can! So it was completely ruined!"

The three girls stared at Yuma in shock.

"S-So you have no idea what you're doing…." Okimi said.

"I'm auditioning for the Gatherer, by the way!" Yuma said. "Maybe I could borrow the script from you guys now!"

"You were supposed to memorize the lines." Hana said.

"I'll just memorize then super quick! Five minutes!"

"Yuma!" Kotori stood up. "Why didn't you just ask for another copy of the script!"

Yuma stared at her. "Oh yeah! I could've done that!"

Hana's jaw dropped open. Okimi slapped her palm to her face. Kotori stared at him.

"Mou, you really are an idiot!" Kotori shouted.

"Hehe…." Yuma scratched the back of his head apologetically. "So. . . how do I audition?"

The three girls looked at each other.

"NEXT!"

**The Next Day…..**

"I can't believe I didn't get to audition!" Yuma complained.

"It's not my fault!" Kotori said. "You're just an idiot!"

"How is it my fault that I dropped a rice ball on the script?"

"How is it NOT your fault!" The two kids glared at each other.

"Now I don't get a part in the play!" Yuma shouted.

"You can just help out backstage then!" Kotori said.

"More importantly," Tetsuo butted in, "who got which role?"

"Yes!" Takashi jumped in. "Who got it?"

"I can't tell you guys!" Kotori shouted.

"Come on!"

"Why not?"

"You'll find out afterschool anyway!" Kotori said. "We're posting it then!"

"But we still have two classes!" Takashi complained.

"Yeah! Why can't you just tell us now?" Tetsuo said.

Kotori sighed. "BECAUSE" She stressed the word "that wouldn't be fair to the other people in our class! You'll find out afterschool like everyone else!"

"Aw come on! Please Kotori!" Tetsuo begged.

"Kotori-chan!" Takashi shouted.

They kept shouting one after another. A vein throbbed on Kotori's head. Yuma took a step back. He didn't want to get involved when Kotori got angry.

"Come on!"

"Please!"

Kotori's eyebrow twitched.

"Please!"

"Kotori-chan!"

Another vein throbbed.

"Kotori!"

"Come on! Please!"

Yuma ran into the building as fast as he could. He knew that Kotori was close to erupting.

"Kotori?"

"**THAT'S ENOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUGH!**"

**After School…**

Tetsuo rubbed his ears. "Ow…."

"So where are the results being posted?" Yuma asked Kotori as they all walked down the hall.

"Can you not talk so loud please?" Takashi asked, wincing. "To summarize Tetsuo-kun and my ears are still sore…"

"Well that is kinda your fault…." Yuma trailed off. "I mean you did kinda provoke Kotori…."

"Hmph!" Kotori turned up her chin. The three boys sweat-dropped.

"I gotta go post the audition results now. See you later!" Kotori ran down the hall and waved goodbye. Tetsuo and Takashi winced together and grabbed their ears.

The three boys stood there. "So where are the results being posted?" Yuma asked.

"In the classroom of course!" Takashi exclaimed. "We should go now! To summarize, if we want to see the results before the classroom gets too crowded, we should hurry!"

"Good idea!" Tetsuo said. "Let's go!"

They ran down the hall to their class and bust through the door. Kotori, Okimi, and Hana were just finished putting up a large poster with a chart on it.

"Done!" Kotori shouted.

"So now people can just read it and find what part they got!" Okimi said.

"And everyone can stop bothering us!" Hana exclaimed.

"The results!" Takashi shouted. He and Tetsuo ran over and pushed the three girls out of the way.

"Hey!" Kotori shouted.

"Not now!" The two boys stared at the sheet. "Oh…"

* * *

**Me: So, the results for who got what…..next chapter's news. Yeah I just wanted Yuma to fail his audition! Guess he'll just be helping out backstage then!**

**But don't go anywhere! Believe me, the play's gonna be more exciting than you can imagine!**

**You know, usually Astral would say something to ruin the plot, but he's not here! **

**Sorry about the stupid names for the play! They were the first things I thought of! I was gonna put Bob, but that's just too weird! Bob! Bobby! Bob Bobby Bobbity Bobby Bob!**

**So yeah. Tom and Steve. And Yuma's soy sauce covered script. Yeah…**

**Wonder if I should change the genre? Cause it was only angsty for the first few chapters or so! **

**Astral STILL isn't back yet! So, um. . . .**

**. . . .**

**. . . .**

**. . . .**

**Wow it's really quiet without Astral around! Um, remember to vote on the poll on my page! The first story is gonna be the time where I had to explain to Astral what a pervert was!**

**Gods I don't want to relive that ever! But if enough people vote yes I'll just type it up and show you guys what happened. Maybe you can laugh at my misfortune or something. Maybe. Gods that was a terrifying time…..**

**Uh, Astral still isn't back. So, um, review! Review review review review review! Or not! It could go either way really! But if you do, hopefully, Astral will come back!**

**Hopefully.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Me: DAMNIT DAMNIT DAMNIT WHY IS MY BRAIN SO ABSENTMINDED WORK WORK WORK TYPE THESE WORDS INTO THE STORY ALREADY!**

**Astral: We do not own Yugioh Zexal….**

**Me: Seriously! Why can't I take a turn doing the disclaimer! You always do it! It's not fair!**

**Astral: You are always busy ranting so I have to take responsibility for your writing and absentminded head.**

**Me: (pouts) Meanie. Let's go to the story now.**

**Astral: (confused look)**

**Me: HA! See! I can be responsible too! Nyeh! (sticks out tongue)**

**Astral: (sighs) I should have guessed why that's why you said that.**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Everybody's getting ready for the show, just some are blacker than others!**

"A-Awww…." Tetsuo and Takashi sighed together.

"What? Who got it?" Yuma asked.

"Neither of us…" They said together.

"To summarize, someone else got it…" Takashi said, slouching away.

"Huh? Let me see!" Yuma ran to the poster and looked. "Oh! Hey, none of us got in!"

"Well, you not getting in isn't a surprise." Kotori sighed. "Now we just have to get ready for the play in two weeks."

"I guess we're on backstage duty then…" Tetsuo said. The three boys sighed together.

"Hey! No slacking! Let's get to work!" Kotori shouted, smacking them on the back of their heads.

"H-Hai!"

**Two Weeks Later…..**

"Ugh Kotori!" Yuma slumped over and collapsed at the front of the school. "All of that work….."

"Everyone has to do something!" Kotori walked past him without looking down.

"But me and Takashi had to do the entire set!" Yuma yelled from the ground.

"You had two weeks to do the backdrop!" Tetsuo came by and picked up Yuma as he ran towards Kotori not done ranting. "But all you did was duel over and over with Iinchou and Tetsuo!"

"We were dueling and just lost track of time! How is that my fault!"

"It's TOTALLY your fault you lost track of time! FOR TWO WEEKS! OF COURSE YOU HAD TO PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER!"

"Still, I had no idea Yuma-kun had improved that much at dueling!" Takashi said, sleepiness evident everywhere on him.

"Ahehe, well what can I say….." Yuma smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head.

"Come on! Just hurry up! We need to help the rest of the class set up the stage and the rest of the festival!" Kotori grabbed Yuma's ear and pulled the protesting teen into the building.

"So what do we do?" Yuma asked.

"Help the rest of the class put out the chairs in the gym and set up the stage cause the first performance is today at seven pm!" Kotori pointed in the direction of the gym and a huge stack of chairs.

"Okay!" Yuma ran to the gym and grabbed a stack of chairs. He collapsed under the weight of fifty folding chairs. Kotori sighed and walked over to start fishing him out.

**Eight Hours Later…..**

"Nee-chan! Baa-chan! This way!" Yuma called as he lead the two women towards the school entrance. "It's starting soon and we need to find good seats for you!"

"Yuma. Are you watching with us?" Yuma's Grandma asked.

"Nah, Kotori needs me backstage to move props and help out and some third thing that I don't remember!"

"Then see you after the show Yuma! Tell Kotori-chan we said hi!" Akari shouted as she lead Grandma into the gym. Yuma sighed and ran to the back entrance into the busy backstage.

"Get those props to section C!"

"Hurry and get into costume!"

"Show's starting in twenty minutes!"

"Push that backdrop onto the stage!"

"Um, excuse me, come on," Yuma squished through the crowd of moving students as he pushed towards the general direction of Kotori. He squeezed through two students, tripped, and fell in front of Kotori's feet.

"Finally Yuma!" Kotori stared down at him with her arms crossed. "The show's starting soon!"

"Ahehe…" Yuma got up and laughed. "So now what do I do?"

"Help Tetsuo and Iinchou push the backdrop onto the stage. Then report back for more info later."

"Sure!" Yuma jumped up and ran over to Tetsuo and Takashi as they started pushing the ginormous backdrop onto the stage.

"Okay everyone! Listen up!" Kotori climbed onto a table and yelled into a megaphone. Everyone stopped talking and looked at Kotori.

"The show's gonna start in five minutes! Thank you to everyone for helping out and creating this with us! So go out there and do your best!"

"YEAH!" Everyone cheered.

"NOW LET'S GIVE THEM A SHOW!"

**Meanwhile, Somewhere Else….**

"We're sorry Nii-sama!" Three men in black bowed to a man sitting at a bar. They were in a large pub surrounded by around 15 people all wearing black.

"You had a simple task! Go hold the school hostage so we could get a nice ransom! But you failed!" The man, the leader of these people, shouted.

"We're sorry!"

"You disgrace the name of the black brothers!" The man shouted again. The three men winced. The leader looked away, thinking.

"Still, this Gatherer, he's collecting Numbers, and he took yours, so he must have lots…. If we beat him, we could get many more Numbers…"

"What's the plan then?" Another man dressed in, you guessed it, black asked the leader.

"If the Gatherer was able to track you down that quickly at the school, it means he had to be close to the area…."

"There aren't any business or offices close to Heartland School sir." Another man said.

"Then that only leaves the possibility that the Gatherer is a member of the school…"

"Ha! They got beaten by a middle school student!" Someone blurted out.

"SILENCE!" The man immediately stopped laughing and gulped.

"I think we should pay this middle school a visit… all of us…."

"All of us? Isn't that a bit too overwhelming?"

"This Gatherer is very skilled, so it's only natural…. Now we just need to find the right time to strike fear into people as we defeat him…."

"Sir, I found this lying in the streets!" A black man brought out a flyer. It described Heartland Middle School holding a play tonight. "It's a play, and it's going on tonight at the school!"

"This is good, this is too good…. We'll go to the school and demand for the Gatherer to face us or else watch everyone in there get killed, then beat him and take all of his Numbers…"

"Great idea boss!"

"When do we do it?"

"Well according to this flyer, they're having a play tonight. Why don't we go and crash the party…." A red Numbers mark shone on his neck as he smiled evilly.

* * *

**Me: Um. . . . . . I'm out of ideas on what to say.**

**Astral: Say something about where the story is going.**

**Me: Oh! Right! Uh, uh, uuuuuuuuuuuuuuh, um, uh, well, uh, the story, is, uh, going, somewhere?**

**Astral: (sighs) So the three black brothers from before, Kuroda, Kurokawa, and Kurokurokuro, seems to be part of a large group filled with people in black. And they all have Numbers.**

**Me: Oh yeah! And, uh, what else is there?**

**Astral: Review the chapter. Hopefully it will remind her to work and not slack off like usual.**

**Me: I DO NOT SLACK OFF THAT MU****—**

**Astral: We're out of time. Review the chapter.**

**Me: STOP CUTTING ME OFF ASTR****—**


	13. Chapter 12B

**Me: Um, yeah… This is chapter 12B. NOT CHAPTER NUMBER AFTER 12! IT'S 12B! THE NEXT ONE IS FOURTEEN! THERE EXISTS NO NUMBER BETWEEN 12 AND 14!**

**Astral: She is slightly triskaidekaphobic.**

**Me: I can't help it ya know! It just kinda happened one day!**

**Astral: (sighs) We do not own Yugioh Zexal.**

**Me: You know, you sigh a lot!**

**Astral: . . . . . Sure.**

* * *

**Chapter 12B: Wow This Play Is So Realistic! The Building Actually Exploded!**

"Okay! Just two more scenes to go!" Kotori shouted. "Move that set onto the stage!"

"Right!" Yuma, Tetsuo and Takashi began pushing the large backdrop onto the stage.

**(Hey. I just realized something! Where the heck did Tokunosuke go!)**

The four took a break at the back of the stage. "Almost done you guys!" Kotori cheered.

"Yeah!" Yuma smiled.

"To summarize, I didn't think it would be so hard!" Takashi sighed.

"Hey!" Tokunosuke walked by.

"Tokunosuke! Where've you been all night?!" Yuma asked.

"Hana needed me to set up the lighting." Tokunosuke said. "You want some water-ura?"

"Yes please!" Tokunosuke handed over a cup filled with water. Kotori drank it all in one gulp.

"Oi Kotori! I wanted some!" Yuma whined.

"Get it yourself!" Kotori turned away.

"A-Ano…" Cathy appeared between Kotori and Yuma, and they both jumped. "T-This needs to be given to Hiroshi for the next scene.

"Right! Thanks Cat-chan!" Yuma took it from her and smiled. Cathy blushed before he ran off to find Hiroshi. A vein throbbed on Kotori's forehead as she watched her.

"Come on! We need to get ready for the next scene!" Kotori commanded, not looking at Cathy.

"Okay." Tetsuo got up and stretched. He walked off to help someone. The others followed.

_**-linebreakofsomesortanywayont heothersideofthestageIdon'tfeellikeusingthespaacebarri ghtnow-**_

Yuma delivered the cloak and watched the rest of the play from the left wing of the stage.

"Almost time." He said.

"OI! YOU PEOPLE IN THE BUILDING!" Someone yelled from outside in a megaphone.

"Huh? What was that?" Yuma snapped alert and looked around.

"WE ARE THE BLACK BROTHERS AND WE'RE HERE TO CHALLENGE THE GATHERER!" The person outside with the megaphone shouted.

"Black Brothers?" Yuma had never heard of them before. He peeked from behind the curtains. The rest of the audience looked as confused as he did. The play had also stopped as the actors looked around for the voice.

"You're being too direct Kurodachi!" Another voice yelled from the microphone. "Let me handle this!"

"No way Kurogo!" Someone else yelled. "Just tell them to hand over the Gatherer now so we can hurry and get his Numbers!"

Sounds of a scuffle were heard outside from the microphone as the three Blacks wrestled for the microphone.

"OH SCREW THIS!" Someone else shouted from outside.

** BOOOM!**

A giant cannonball crashed through the left wall of the gym, right next to two of the audience members who fainted dead away.

"Woah!" Some people jumped.

"What's going on?!" Someone else shouted.

"WE'RE SERIOUS! GIVE US THE GATHERER AND HIS NUMBERS NOW OR ELSE WE'LL BLOW THIS PLACE UP!" Someone else shouted into the microphone.

_These guys have Numbers!_

Yuma dashed away from the curtain to the dressing rooms, where he found Kotori and Tetsuo.

"Yuma! Those guys are after the Gatherer and his Numbers!" Kotori shouted.

"I know. This place isn't safe! We gotta hide somewhere better!" Yuma said.

"We should gather everyone and get them somewhere safe!" Tetsuo said.

"Where though?"

Kotori's eyes widened. "The storage room! The one that we found the keys too!"

"Good idea! It's so dark in there nobody'll notice the window from outside! And it's behind that bookcase so nobody will notice the door!" Tetsuo said.

"Great! Let's gather everyone in there then!" Yuma said.

Another cannonball crashed through the wall. More people screamed.

"Hey, is this part of the play?" Akari asked her Grandma, who just shrugged.

"If it is, it's really realistic!"

People dressed in black filed into the gym. The wall where the two cannonballs had busted in completely broke down as a large catapult was wheeled in by five more people in black.

"This is really realistic!" Someone else from the audience smiled.

One man in black walked onto the stage. "Gatherer! I'll tear this place down if you don't show your face right now! Duel me! And when I win, I'm taking your Numbers!

**(Hey, anyone ever notice how the people in Yugioh never just go up to a guy and go "hey, give me your cards now!", they always have to duel first! It's never, "hey, give me your cards now or I'll beat up!", it's always "Hey, duel me and I'll take your cards if I win!" **

**Okay, I'm done ranting now. Anyway, back to the story)**

The actors on stage had been scared off. Most of the students were already hiding in the storage room. For some reason, the audience all thought it was part of the play.

"Why do they think the Gatherer's here? It's just a play!" Kotori said.

"People shouldn't take what they read that seriously!" Tetsuo said.

"Maybe the Gatherer really is here-ura!" Tokunosuke said, earning looks from the two others.

"Why?"

"Well they seem to think that he's here!"

"They're also all wearing black and crazy!" Kotori exclaimed. "Why on earth would the Gatherer be here?!"

"Um, maybe he wanted to watch the show too!" Tokunosuke said optimistically. Kotori and Tetsuo sweat-dropped.

"We need to figure out how to get these crazies away from our school!" Kotori shouted.

"But how?!" Tetsuo asked.

"Everyone!" Takashi ran over with three students behind him. "I found some more students!"

"Great!" Kotori breathed out. "I'm pretty sure that makes everyone!"

Cathy walked out of the room. "24, 25, 26, 27, 28…" She pointed at each of them and then herself in turn. "Huh?"

"Is there something wrong?" Tetsuo asked.

"There's 29 kids in our class. I've only counted 28. Someone's missing." Cathy said and looked around. The others looked around too. They all realized who was missing at the same time.

"Yuma!"

"GATHERER! COME OUT NOW!" The person on the stage yelled again.

"This is bad! Yuma's missing and we're still under the attack of crazy people wearing black!" Kotori shouted and looked around. "Where is he?!"

"You wanted to see me?" She heard a voice come from the stage and turned, startled.

"Ho? You really came!" The leader on the stage said as he saw the Gatherer appear.

_Wait, you mean he didn't actually think the Gatherer would come?_ Kotori stared at the two.

"I'm going to take your Numbers when I beat you in a duel!" The leader took out his black d-pad and d-gazer.

"If you beat me though." The Gatherer took out his d-pad as well. They both threw theirs in the air at the same time.

"DUEL DISK, SET! D-GAZER, SET!"

"This is so cool!" A kid in the audience whispered. "A fight between some random old dude and the Gatherer!"

"THE BOSS IS NOT AN OLD DUDE! HE'S FIFTY-THREE FOR YOUR INFORMATION!" One of the lackeys yelled.

"Fifty-three's pretty old." The kid commented. The guy dropped.

"Shhh! The duel's going to start!" The kid's mom said.

"Kotori? Did you find something?" Tetsuo and the others walked over and asked. Kotori shushed them without turning around. They looked around her.

"The Gatherer actually showed up?" Takashi's eyes widened.

"And he's dueling for us!" Tokunosuke exclaimed.

"DUEL!"

* * *

**Me: For some reason, I wrote the first few words, then went into block mode! I knew exactly what would happen next, but couldn't write it out for some reason! It was so stupid!**

**Astral: Now she has to go study.**

**Me: Yeah, another reason is that I have a Music History test tomorrow and I NEEEEEEEED to get over 90! I GOTTA GO STUDY NOW!**

**Astral: The test is tomorrow in the morning. She needs to study.**

**Me: I'm going! (hides behind huge stacks of books and notes)**

**Astral: Review the chapter.**

**Me: And cheer me on! Studying! Reviewing! Studyreviewing! That's not a real word is it Astral!**

**Astral: No it is not.**

**Me: (sighs) Thought so. Anyway, review anyway!**

**Astral: You said review twice.**

**Me: You bet I did!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Me: I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I SUCK AT WRITING DUELS KAY?! I'M SO SORRY! I DO NOT OWN YUGIOH ZEXAL! I'M SORRY!**

**Anyway, Astral's not here today. So, onto the story. I already did the disclaimer when I panicked.**

* * *

**Chapter 14: Dueling Decking Graveyarding Destroying And Any Other Words That Relate To Duels**

"DUEL!"

**Gatherer: 4000**

**Kurokurai: 4000**

"I'll go first! Draw!" The Gatherer shouted and drew his card. "I set three cards facedown and end my turn."

"Heh? You really do only use spells and traps! That's too weak to work on me! Draw! I summon Darkness Eye in attack mode! I set two cards facedown and end my turn!"

"You say my dueling style is weak while you play the same way. My turn. I draw. I play the spell Wave Motion Cannon. Then I play Oozaki! You take 800 points of damage!"

A fireball shot out of the spell that just appeared on the field and burned Kurokurai.

**Gatherer: 4000**

**Kurokurai: 3200**

"Is that it?!" Kurokurai recovered quickly and shouts.

"I end my turn with that."

"It's my turn! Draw!" The black leader drew his card. "Darkness Eye's effect! Since it was in attack mode during my standby phase, I can special summon a monster without tribute summoning! I choose Darkness Bramble! Now I summon another Darkness Eye! Darkness Bramble attacks you directly!"

"I activate my trap, Mirror Force! Since you attacked me, I can destroy all the monsters on your field!"

"Darkness Aura activates!" The equip trap appeared on his field. "I'm equipping this to Darkness Bramble, and now he can't be destroyed by spells or traps!"

"But your two Darkness Eyes are destroyed!" The Gatherer pointed at the large eye, which exploded from the trap. "Now you can't summon more powerful monsters on your next turn!"

Kurokurai started laughing. "You've just sealed your fate! I activate my trap, Deck Destruction Virus! Since you just destroyed Darkness Eye, ten cards in your deck go to the graveyard! I choose all the spells!"

"What?!" Ten spells flew out of the Gatherer's deck and into his duel disk's graveyard.

"I'm not done! I activate another Deck Destruction Virus! I had two Darkness Eyes, and since the other one was also destroyed, another ten cards in your deck go to the graveyard! This time it's the traps!"

**(A/N: In real life Deck Destructin Virus sends a random 10 cards but for this duel I'm just saying that you can choose it's just for the purpose of this duel do not mix this up with real life thank you bye bye!)**

Ten traps flew from the Gatherer's deck into his graveyard. He scowled under the cloak's hood.

"Now I set three cards facedown and end my turn! Darkness Bramble's effect! At the end phase of my turn, if I have less than 4000 life points, my life points automatically go up to 4000!"

**Gatherer: 4000**

**Kurokurai: 4000**

"That means the Gatherer has to beat him in one turn or else that Darkness Bramble will restore his life points right away!" Tetsuo exclaimed.

"That's not good-ura!" Tokunosuke shouted.

"It's my turn! Draw!" The Gatherer looked at his hand. The two Deck Destruction Viruses had destroyed most of the spells and traps in his deck, and if he used monsters people would recognize him. There was still a spell and a trap in his hand though, along with a monster. The spell Darkness Aura made it so Darkness Bramble couldn't be destroyed, but if he targeted the spell instead….

"I play the spell Cyclone! But sending one card in my hand to the graveyard, I destroy one card on the field!"

"Darkness Bramble can't be destroyed by spells or traps!"

"I'm not targeting Darkness Bramble! I'm targeting Darkness Aura!" The equip spell exploded, along with the purple aura around the monster.

"What?!"

"Now Darkness Bramble can be destroyed by spells and traps! I activate the spell Raigeki! Now Darkness Bramble is destroyed!"

A bold of lightning suddenly struck the plant, which exploded with a screech.

"Yes! It's gone!" Kotori cheered.

"And the spell Wave Motion Cannon is all set up on his field!" Tetsuo pointed out.

"Right! To summarize, when four turns have past, he can remove that card from the field, causing 4000 points of damage to the weird man wearing black!" Takashi explained.

The Gatherer looked at the field. There were two spells and traps on his field, including Wave Motion Cannon. This was the first Standby Phase. If he just held out for three more turns…..

"I activate the spell Swords of Revealing Light! Now you can't attack me for three turns! I end my turn with that."

"Fine! It's my turn! Draw! I set a monster in facedown defense position and end my turn!"

"My turn! Draw!" Second standby phase. "I end my turn."

"It's my turn! Draw! Two more turns until that card wears off! I summon Darkness Seed! Now I flip Stealth Bird face-up! Stealth Bird's effect! Now you take 1000 points of damage!"

"What?!"

The blue bird sent a gust of wind towards the Gatherer.

**Gatherer: 3000**

**Kurokurai: 4000**

"And Stealth Bird can be flipped back face-down. So his effect can be activated again next turn! I set one card facedown and end my turn there!"

"It's my turn! I draw!" Third standby phase. Next turn he would be able to win! "I set a card and then activate the trap One For One! For every card in my hand I discard, I can destroy one spell or trap on the field! By discarding the two cards in my hand, your two facedowns are destroyed!"

The two traps exploded with a boom. "I end my turn." Just one more turn!

"It's my turn! Draw!" Kurokurai grinned evilly. "I'm flipping Stealth Bird face-up again! That's another 1000 points of damage to you!" Another fierce gust of wind was pushed against the Gatherer.

**Gatherer: 2000**

**Kurokurai: 4000**

"Now I summon Ancient Brain! I play the spell Star Changer! This changes Darkness Seed to level three! I overlay my level three Stealth Bird, Ancient Brain and Darkness Seed! I build the overlay network with these three level three monsters! Exceed summon!"

A dark, pulsing black blob of slime appeared onto the field. "Appear! Numbers 94!" The slime grew two eyes and its mouth grew fangs. "Darkness Reflector Slime!"

"2500 attack points!" Kotori yelled.

"It's still okay! The Gatherer still has Swords of Revealing Lights! It won't be able to attack!" Tetsuo reminded her.

"I play the spell Heavy Storm! Now all spells on the field are destroyed!"

"What?!" A large storm swept up the area, destroying every spell and trap in the area. Wave Motion Cannon and the glowing swords around Kurokurai's monsters disappeared, along with the last trap the Gatherer had.

"Nyo way!" Cathy screeched.

"The two cards he needed to win!" Kotori shouted.

"They're gone!" Tetsuo yelled.

"Now there's nothing stopping me from finishing you off!" Kurokurai yelled triumphantly. "Darkness Reflector Slime! Attack him directly!"

There were no cards in his hand. No cards on his field. Wait, he still had that! He was risking a lot, but it would make him survive this turn!

"From my graveyard, I activate the effect of Tasuke Knight! When I have no cards in my hand, I can special summon him and end the battle phase!" A magic circle appeared on the field and the robotic knight rose up onto the field. He clapped and the vibrations stopped the slime from reaching the Gatherer.

"Tasuke Knight?!" Kotori looked at the monster, then at Tokunosuke. From the look on his face, she knew that he also recognized that card and the combo.

"Yuma!" She yelled.

* * *

**Me: Well there we go! Now, uh, since Astral isn't here, I guess I have to remember everything. So, I think I promised something to everyone who guessed who the Gatherer was! Now, uh, gimme a moment…..**

**(some time rustling through previous chapters later)**

**Oh. I promised a Little Sister Fanfic to everyone who guessed the right person. ALL MY POOR REESES CUPS! UWAAAH! I LOVE THEM SO!**

**Um, I counted up who guessed Yuma and I got 9 people. Oh gods…..**

**But then, I still have to keep my promise. If you guessed Yuma, then you can send in an idea or have us do one of our ideas or just say its okay my little sister doesn't have to do it so she won't attack me.**

**Yeah…..**

**Wow. I'm actually missing Astral. This is weird. Unfortunately he's stuck fused with Yuma in Zexal mode in the Sphere Field with evil Dr. Faker who's acting like a ballerina.**

**I'm kinda spoiling episode 67. But Dr. Faker really does look like a ballerina from the right angle! It's funny! **

**So, review! I'll continue the chapter next duel, I-I mean, duel next chapter! I'll continue the duel next chapter! I'm not good with talking for long times cause eventually I start ranting and then I hardly ever stop and then I forget to breathe and then I take weird breathes at weird places but you guys can't hear it cause I'm actually just typing everything I'm saying and ACK I BIT MY TONGUE I BIT MY TONGUE!**

**R-Review. My little sister's gonna be so angry that I told you guys I would make nine Little Sister fanfics. Maybe if I sneak away now….**

**Review!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Me: Wow! Been a while since I had daily updates! I just felt like writing and writing and writing until I actually finished this in one day!**

**Also, guess what?! This is chapter 15! The third five year anniversary! So we're having another party at the end! I do not own Yugioh Zexal!**

* * *

**Chapter 15: The End of the Duel and the Beginning to Some Well Deserved Answers Which I Was Holding Off For WAY Too Long**

"From my graveyard, I activate the effect of Tasuke Knight! When I have no cards in my hand, I can special summon him and end the battle phase!"

"Yuma!" Kotori yelled.

"Tasuke Knight?" Akari looked at her grandma. "I thought Yuma said he was just working backstage for this play!" Her grandma shrugged.

"Fine! I end my turn with a face down!"

**Gatherer: 2000**

**Kurokurai: 4000**

"It's my turn! Draw! I set one monster in facedown defense mode!" The facedown card appeared onto the field. He had one card left in his hand. His last remaining trap card which Deck Destruction Virus hadn't destroyed. "I set one facedown and end my turn!"

"You still have one? It doesn't matter! My turn! Draw! I play the spell Cost Down, so now I can summon Darkness Bramble without having to sacrifice any monsters! Now Darkness Bramble, attack that facedown monster!"

The prickly plant dove down to the card, which flipped up and a rock-solid golem appeared. "Gogogo Golem's effect! It can't be destroyed in battle once per turn!" Gogogo Golem caught the attack from the slime and threw it back.

"I activate my trap Dark Cure! Now you gain lifepoints equal to half of your monster's attack points!"

"What?! Why would he do that?!" Kotori looked at the others.

"I'm not sure!" Tetsuo watched the leader of the blacks carefully.

"Now I activate my other trap, Bad Reaction to Simochi! Everytime you would gain lifepoints, you lose the amount instead!"

"What?!" The two traps shot out a burst of combined energy at the Gatherer, knocking him backwards.

**Gatherer: 1100**

**Kurokurai: 4000**

"Darkness Reflector Slime! Attack that Gogogo Golem! I detach one overlay unit so that now Darkness Reflector Slime can cause piercing damage, and the battle damage to you is doubled! That's 2000 points of damage coming your way! Attack!"

The slime morphed back and forth before rocketing towards Gogogo Golem.

"Trap activate! Half Unbreak!" Colorful bubbles floated out of the trap and encased Gogogo Golem. The black slime bounced off of it harmlessly.

"Also, battle damage to me is halved!" The force of the wind collided with him and sent him flying back.

**Gatherer: 100**

**Kurokurai: 4000**

"Tch! Fine! Turn end!" Darkness Reflector Slime returned to Kurokurai's field. "But you're done next turn! If you summon any monsters, my traps will finish you! And you're out of spells and traps as well! It's over!"

"Yuma…." Kotori whispered.

Something glittered through the air behind the Gatherer. Only Kotori recognized it though. Her eyes widened at it, then smiled.

"Go for it."

"It's my turn! Draw!" The Gatherer looked at his card.

_It's here!_

"I summon Advance Cardcar D! And just to let you know, Advance Cardcar D only has 100 attack points! So now I'm only taking 50!"

**Gatherer: 50**

**Kurokurai: 4000**

Another blast headed his way, and he braced his way through it. "Advance Cardcar D's effect! All spells and traps go back to their user's hands!"

"What?!" The small car drove around the field, pushing all the spells and traps on Kurokurai's field back into his hand.

"And by tributing it during the Main Phase of my turn, I can draw two cards!" The car then zoomed back to his side and turned into a ball of light. The light was absorbed into his deck and he drew.

_Yes!_

"Since I have a Gagaga monster in my graveyard, I can special summon Gagaga Linker! Since Gagaga Linker was summoned this way, I can special summon another Gagaga monster from my deck! I'm choosing Gagaga Magician!"

A man dressed in black and silver chains yelled a battle cry as he jumped onto the field. He thrust a chain out to the side and the black magician grabbed hold of it. It pulled him onto the field next to Gagaga Linker.

"I'm not done yet! Now I summon Gagaga Girl!"

"Another one?!"

The Gagaga Magician's apprentice appeared and flashed her cellphone.

"I overlay my level four Gogogo Golem, my level four Tasuke Knight, my level four Gagaga Linker, my level four Gagaga Girl, and my level four Gagaga Magician! I build the overlay network with these five level four monsters! Exceed summon!"

A gold light flashed as a mechanical white box rose from the ground. It unfolded one part at a time, until a white-gold metal dragon, like Numbers 39 in dragon form, stood and flapped it's wings menacingly. Five golden lights zoomed around it.

"Appear! Number 1! Positive Force of Hope!" The dragon roared, a pure sound that rang out through the entire gym.

"N-Number 1?!" The leader of the Blacks stared at it. "This is your Numbers?!"

Kotori smiled and sighed in relief.

"What is that Numbers?!" Tetsuo stared.

"Woah!" Takashi shouted.

"Amazing-ura!" Tokunosuke said.

"W-Wow…" Cathy stuttered out.

"2500 attack points?! It's evenly matched with Darkness Reflector Slime! They'll both be destroyed, then Darkness Bramble can destroy you next turn!" Kurokurai shouted.

"Let's go One!" The dragon nodded at him. "One's effect! Once per turn, by removing one overlay unit, One gains 100 attack points for every card in my graveyard!"

"What?!"

"Charging Roar!" Thirty-two bright lights flew out of the red D-pad and were swallowed by the dragon, who grew brighter with every orb of light.

"F-Five thousand s-seven hundred attack points?! I can still hold through it!"

"Gagaga Girl's effect! Since she was used as an exceed summon, I can choose one of your monsters and reduce it's attack points down to zero!"

"What?!"

**(anyone else thinking he says What?! a lot? He seems to be getting all sorts of surprises today! Anyway sorry for the interruption back to the story)**

A projection of Gagaga Girl appeared behind Yuma's Numbers and typed a few numbers on her cell phone. Then she pointed the cell phone at Kurokurai's Numbers and a beam of light surrounded it. Number 94's attack points dropped down to zero.

"N-No way… I-I'm gonna lose?!"

"One! Attack Darkness Reflector Slime! Finish this duel! Hope Saviour Stream!" The dragon charged up for his attack and blasted it at the black Numbers. The entire gym was blinded with warm, golden light.

**Gatherer: 50**

**Kurokurai: 0**

When the light died down, the leader of the blacks was lying on his back on the ground. Everyone was silent.

"H-HE WON!" The entire audience cheered and gave a standing ovation.

"B-Boss!" Five lackeys picked him up and ran offstage. They ran out the hole in the wall and all of the other blacks followed him out. Some of them pushed the huge catapult out the hole in the wall.

"You didn't see anything!" The last one yelled before panicking and running out the hole.

"U-Uh…." The Gatherer stared after them, then realized everyone was clapping for him. "W-Well, thanks but I kinda have to go now…." He laughed nervously, then ran offstage. He ran out the back entrance of the gym and to the back of the school, where he let out a sigh of relief and took off the hood. His pointy red bangs and black-blue pointy hair at the back was revealed.

"Ugh! This is getting complicated…." He groaned.

"Yuma!" Yuma froze and turned his head slowly. All of his friends were staring at him.

"Um… You probably want me to explain a lot of things, don't you?" Yuma said slowly.

"Uh huh!" Tetsuo crossed his arms and stared at him.

"It's a loooong story really! Maybe, I could explain, after some food?" Yuma tried.

"Yuma-kun! We need answers now!" Takashi shouted.

Yuma sighed and groaned. " Jeez…. Knew I'd have to explain eventually…. Uh, how do I put this, I'm the Gatherer?"

"We can tell-ura!" Tokunosuke yelled. "We want to know why! And how you got that Numbers! We want to know what's going on-ura!"

Yuma sighed. "Okay, so basically….."

_"I can probably help!"_

"Who said that?" They looked around. A golden light appeared next to Yuma and formed into a sixteen year old boy with a hairstyle similar to Yuma's, but the red bangs were shorter and there were more back spikes pointed downwards instead.

"One!" Kotori yelled. Yuma's friends looked at her.

"You know this person?" Takashi asked.

"And you're calling him One, like how Yuma called that Numbers dragon?" Tokunosuke wondered.

"Remember that time I dragged Yuma away? He and One explained everything to me!" Kotori said.

_"And now I'll explain to you guys as well."_ One said. _"Kotori-chan, could you first describe our meeting please?"_

"Sure!" Kotori cleared her throat. "You see…"

* * *

**Me: And now we're kinda reaching the climax of this story see! Now Kotori will explain what happened that time and a lot of things'll be cleared up! **

**Anyway, since this is chapter 15, another 5 year anniversary, PARTY TIME! ASTRAL'S NOT HERE TO JOIN OUR PARTY BUT NOW I WILL SING THE THIRD OPENING TO ZEXAL! SOUL DRIVE! **

**(yelling at little sister to play the music)**

_**Susume susume chikara no kagiri  
tomoni yukō inochi moyashite**_

_**Naa tomoyo kono saka no mukō niwa**_  
_**donna keshiki ga matteirundarō**_  
_**Naa tomoyo norikoeteyukerusa**_  
_**furikaeruniwa bokura hayai**_  
_**Yomigaere imakoso chikara awase**_  
_**tokihanate tamashī doraibu**_

_**Susume susume chikara no kagiri**_  
_**tomoni yukō inochi moyashite**_  
_**Hashire hashire tadoritsuku made**_  
_**nandomo nandomo idomi tsuzukete**_

_**Naa tomoyo sono namida wa itsuka**_  
_**dareka no yūki ni naru hazudakara**_

_**Yobisamase nemureru chikara subete**_  
_**Kasokushite tamashī doraibu**_

_**Susume susume chikara no kagiri**_  
_**tomoni yukō inochi moyashite**_  
_**Sakebe sakebe hontō no kimi o**_  
_**Atsuki koe wo hariagete yuke**_

_**Yomigaere imakoso chikara awase**_  
_**tokihanate tamashī doraibu**_

_**Susume susume chikara no kagiri**_  
_**tomoni yukō inochi moyashite**_  
_**Hashire hashire tadoritsuku made**_  
_**nandomo nandomo idomi tsuzukete**_

_**Tomo yo ima o ikite yukō**_  
_**donna toki mo tomoni susumō**_

**Me: THANK YOU FOR READING, AND WRITE SOMETHING IN THAT REVIEW BOX DOWN THERE! AND TAKE SOME CAKE AND CUPCAKES! CHOCOLATE AND VANILLA CUPCAKES, AND ALL SORTS OF CAKE! I ALSO HAVE SOME JELLO THIS TIME!**

**ENJOY! SEE YA SOME OTHER TIME WHEN I FINALLY FINISH THE NEXT CHAPTER!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Me: Sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry about my horrible updating speed! I just suck at keeping track of this stuff and remembering to write this and having to prepare for school and then I still have a whole bunch of other things to do in my life and I keep forgetting to then finish writing this and****—**

**Astral: You're ranting.**

**Me: Oh yeah! And Astral's back! He's finally back!**

**Astral: (sighs) A few days away and you are already ranting.**

**Me: IT WAS TWO WEEKS!**

**Astral: Hope came here too.**

**Me: Yeah but I can't host the story with Hope! I need you who is super annoying and tells me off when I do something stupid!**

**Astral: We do not own Yugioh Zexal.**

**Me: And you're always doing the disclaimers and never giving me a chance to do it!**

**Astral: Here is the story now.**

* * *

**Chapter 16: Sorting Sort Of Complicated Things Out**

"You see….."

**Okay, here's what happened. It's up to you to imagine what Kotori says cause it's a bit annoying writing that.**

"You see, this is One!" The sixteen year old boy appeared next to Yuma.

"O-One? This is the Numbers?!" Kotori pointed at One.

"Well, yeah! He's been taking the place of Hope for me while we collect the Numbers! I've got a whole bunch now!"

"But, what happened back then, when you were all mopey! And when you lost to III?!"

"Well, when I lost to III, I lost some of my memories. I'm not sure which one though. And most of my childhood was replaced with memories of me being alone. That's probably why I was acting like it back then. When I found One, he told me they weren't real, and showed me some of my more recent memories, like when I beat Shark!"

"But what about the earlier ones?"

"Once I knew the earlier ones were fakes, they gradually faded away, but I still can't remember most of it. All my memories now start from when the Numbers hunting started."

"Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get all of them." One said. "But I think there's a way to get them back."

"How?!" Yuma and Kotori yelled at the same time.

"I said think. I'll tell you when I figure out the entire plan."

"Kay then." Yuma looked back at Kotori. "So that's basically it! I started acting normal when One came."

"But then," Kotori stopped to think. "Oh! That does kind of explain much."

"So PLEASE do me a favour Kotori! Please please PLEASE don't tell the others!" Yuma prayed to Kotori.

"You're gonna have to explain the truth to them eventually!"

"I know, but until then, PLEASE KOTORI! PLEASE KEEP MY SECRET!" Yuma begged.

Kotori sighed. "Fine. But could you try to not be such an idiot?"

"No promises! Thanks Kotori!" Yuma cheered. "Thank you thank you thank you!"

Kotori smiled slightly. "But it's your responsibility to explain it to our friends."

"Oh come on! You know you'll help me in the end!"

"Not this time!"

"But still, you know what's weird?"

"What?"

"In some of my memories, it's like I'm talking to some invisible person. I could never remember who! It wasn't you or Tetsuo or anyone else in our class! I can't seem to remember what he looked like. Do you know? Was I ever talking to some invisible person?" Yuma asked.

Kotori's eyes widened at this. One shook his head 'no' at Kotori, so Kotori answered, "I, don't know. Do you think you were just imagining it?"

"Hm, maybe! Oh well!" Yuma shrugged.

"Anyway, class is starting. We'd better go back now."

"Okay! One! How do we go back?"

"Just close your eyes."

And when Kotori and Yuma opened their eyes, they were in the girl's bathroom again. Which was very awkward for Yuma.

**Flashback ending….**

"Ha! You helped me in the end!" Yuma yelled, smiling happily.

"W-Well, you'd never get anywhere if I didn't help you!" Kotori crossed her arms and turned away.

"Okay, so One helped you with some of your more recent memories, but you still can't remember things before the Numbers then?" Tetsuo asked.

"Basically." Kotori said.

"So then why are you the Gatherer-ura?" Tokunosuke asked.

"Are you kidding, look at all the Numbers I got while being the Gatherer!" Yuma shouted and took out twenty new Number cards from his deck case. "Looky looky look!"

"Woah! To summarize, that's a lot!" Takashi said.

"I know!" Yuma smiled "It's great!"

"We have bigger problems right now Yuma!" Kotori grabbed Yuma's ear and started pulling on it. Yuma yelled in pain.

"Come on Kotori! Can't I have a break to explain what's going on!"

"No you can't! The play is still going and we need to somehow explain to everyone in the audience about what happened!"

"Okay okay!" Yuma shouted. "We'll go back in for the end of the play!"

"Good!" Kotori and Yuma walked back into the gym, not looking at each other. The others stared at them.

"I think we should go too." Tetsuo finally said.

"Good idea." They walked in. One disappeared.

_**-inside-**_

Yuma peaked out o the curtains to see the audience, who were wondering why was there a delay.

"Yuma!" He turned to see the rest of his class glaring at him.

"Um, yes?"

They started clapping. Yuma just stared as they clapped for him.

"Eh?" He finally said.

"Great job for winning against those weirdos!" A girl shouted.

"You saved all of us!" A boy shouted.

"I can't believe you would go and dress up as the Gatherer just to fight that leader!"

"You totally sounded like the Gatherer! The acting was great!"

"If we do another play you are so playing the Gatherer!"

"That was awesome how you pretended to be the Gatherer to duel that guy and win!"

Kotori and the others ran over. "What's going on?" She asked.

"You saw it too, didn't you Kotori-chan!" Saya said. "Yuma dressed up as the Gatherer and beat that man!"

"Dressed up?" Tetsuo murmured to himself.

"Y-Yeah! It was great how he dressed up as the Gatherer and beat him!" Kotori said.

"Anyway," Tokunosuke looked at the large hole in the wall where the catapult had destroyed. "Who's gonna pay for the wall-ura?"

"We'll make the teachers' pay it!" Another student said, smiling at his idea.

"Anyway, the play's over! Come on!" Then all of the students pushed Yuma out onto the stage with them. They all stood in a line. The audience started clapping like crazy.

"I think they believed it was all part of the play!" Kotori whispered next to him.

"At least nobody realized it was real!"' Yuma whispered back.

Everyone bowed and soon, the evening was over. Yuma had walked home with his sister and grandma after they had stopped talking about what had happened. Now he was laying in his hammock, staring out the window.

"Yuma." One appeared next to him.

"Huh? What?" Yuma asked as he turned towards him.

"I figured out a way to get your memories back."

"WHAT?!" Yuma jumped out of the hammock immediately. "HOW HOW HOW!" He yelled.

"You need to duel III again. By winning against him, who took away your memories in the first place, you can regain them."

* * *

**Me: Sorry for being so late! I've been really busy lately and also got sick for a while so I couldn't write at all! Sorry sorry sorry! Sorry sorry!**

**Astral: Lots of things have been happening, but we managed to finish this. Apparently it is not easy for her to write when I am not around.**

**Me: NO! I was just preoccupiuublehbluh, how do you say that again!**

**Astral: (sighs) preoccupied.**

**Me: Right! Preoccupied! I've been preoccupied! Anyway, so I hope I'll be able to update sooner next time! We're nearing the end of this first instalment! Hope once I finish this one you guys'll stick around for the next two!**

**Astral: Review the chapter, and I shall remind her to update sooner next time.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Me: Write write write damnit brain work ahh I can't focus damnit I hate school!**

**Astral: She is starting 8****th**** grade now.**

**Me: I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I AM GOING TO DO****—**** Oh wait an idea!**

**Astral: (sighs) We do not own Yugioh Zexal.**

**Me: I HAVE AN IDEA! YES!**

* * *

**Chapter 17: Starting a Familiar Duel**

"Are you sure this is gonna work?" Yuma asked One as they walked down the street to where apparently III was waiting. The sun was starting to set, and they were going to meet in the same place they had dueled before.

"Just about." One said.

"And you sure III's gonna show up?"

"That I'm positive about."

"Okay then!" They kept walking down the street.

"Yuma!" He heard a voice call behind him and turned around. Kotori, Tetsuo, Takashi, Tokunosuke, and Cat ran up to him.

"You guys! Why are you here?" He asked.

"We came to watch!" Kotori said.

"W-Watch what?" Yuma shrugged, pretending he didn't know anything.

"Don't play dumb! You're going to duel III!" She shouted.

"To summarize, when we got the message, we had to come and cheer you on!" Takashi said.

"But I didn't tell anyone about it!"

One looked away. Yuma noticed it.

"One!"

"I just wrote them a letter explaining it! That's it!"

"You wrote them a letter?"

"Yeah."

"It's right here." Kotori held up a piece of paper. On it was a message explaining about Yuma dueling III.

Yuma stared at the paper. "Oh."

"They have a right to watch this match." One said.

". . . Sure." They walked down the street together.

"Oh yeah, Yuma!" Kotori passed over a wrapped package. "Here!"

"Huh? What's this?" Yuma looked at it.

"Duel meal! If you need to, eat it and definitely win!"

Yuma smiled. "Yeah!"

_**-At The Highway-**_

Yuma walked across from III, who was waiting there.

"Yuma. I thought I broke you!" He said angrily.

"I'm not one to stay down III! I'm going to beat you right here and get my memories back!"

"Memories? I see." III looked at One, who was standing right next to Yuma. "So you gave him back enough of them so he would listen to you!"

"Huh?" Yuma looked at One, who frowned in annoyance.

"I do not know your purpose, but if it involves taking the Numbers from me and my brothers, I will stop you!" III took out his modified D-pad.

"One, what's he talking about?" Yuma asked.

"You'll find out later. But now, you need to duel!"

"Right!" Yuma smiled and threw his d-pad and d-gazer in the air.

"DUEL DISK, SET! D-GAZER, SET!"

III's duel gazer tattoo appeared over his eye as his d-pad unfolded on his arm. He yelled as his body was covered in golden Roman armor.

"Yuma. You'll regret ever facing me again." He said threateningly.

"DUEL!"

**Yuma: 4000**

**III: 4000**

"I'm going first! Draw!" III shouted. "I play the field spell OOPArts City Babylon!"

The space around them turned into a floating platform above an ancient city. "Now I summon OOPArts Mud Golem – Shakouki!" A golem made of mud rose from the ground.

"Now I actiate the ability of OOPArt's Moai from my hand! Since I control a face-up OOPArts monster, I can special summon him!" The large head of rock formed next to the golem.

"I activate the spell Star Changer and change Shakouki to a level five monster!" The four stars above the monster multiplied into five.

"I overlay my level five Mud Golem Shakouki and my level five Moai! I build the overlay network with these two level five monsters! Exceed summon!"

A large castle with two lights flying around it formed in the vortex and descended onto the field. "Appear! Numbers 33! OOPArts Super Weapon, Machu Mach!"

"Machu Mach's here already?!" Yuma stared at the monster.

"I can't do anything else so I end my turn right there!"

"Okay then! It's my turn! Draw!" Yuma drew his card. "I set a monster and a card facedown and that'll be it for now!"

"That's it? Why isn't he doing any more?" Kotori asked.

"There isn't much he can do with a Numbers already on III's field." Tetsuo said.

"Pathetic!" III shouted. "It's my turn! Draw! Since there's a face-up field spell, I can special summon OOPArts Tula Guardian! Now Tula Guardian! Attack Yuma's facedown!"

The rock guardian tackled into the card, which flipped face-up to reveal a solid golem. "Gogogo Golem's effect makes it so that he can't be destroyed once per turn in battle!" Yuma shouted.

"Tula Guardian has the same attack points as Gogogo Golem so neither of us take any damage, but I'm not done yet! I can still normal summon this turn!" III yelled. "I summon OOPArts Cabrera's Catapult!"

The catapult like creature appeared onto the field. "Cabrera's Catapult's effect! I sacrifice Tula Guardian so that Gogogo Golem switches to attack position AND his attack points become zero!"

"What?!" Takashi yelled.

"Gogogo Golem's effect can only be use once per turn! He won't be able to block this one!" Tetsuo shouted.

"Yuma!" Kotori yelled.

"I detach one overlay unit from Machu Mach so that you take damage equal to how much attack points your Gogogo Golem just lost!"

The large castle took in one of its overlay units and shot a burst of fire towards Yuma. He screamed as it collided.

**Yuma: 2200**

**III: 4000**

"Tula Guardian switches to defense mode, but I still have Machu Mach's attack! And he gaisn the attack points equal to what you just lost! Machu Mach! Flames of Bril!"

"I activate my trap! Impenetrable Attack! Now I take no battle damage this turn!" He yelled as the burning attack of Machu Mach smashed into Gogogo Golem first, destroying him and then colliding with Yuma, sending him sprawling to the ground.

III frowned in annoyance. "I end my turn with two facedowns."

"Then it's my turn! Draw!" Yuma yelled, then looked around. "Huh? Where'd One go?"

_**-meanwhile, inside the Key-**_

One walked down the Key to the large mechanism that held all of the Numbers. He looked up at it and held his hand up towards it. The mechanism shone with light.

"You're starting it up now?" He heard a voice next to him say.

"I have to eventually, and if I alter the process of time too much, well, you know what will happen." One replied.

"Yeah, but you sure left it for a while!"

"It's all to get more of the Numbers."

"Are you sure about it though? You know what'll happen if you go through with it!"

"Astral needs his memories. And you know how the Numbers One and Ninety-Nine are special circumstances. Ninety-Nine keeps running from world to world, so it's going to be extra difficult to get to him. He seems to be somewhere in this world currently, so it would be best to get him before he causes any serious trouble."

"Well it's nice to know one of you is nice! You're like Hope!"

"I have talked with him occasionally." One nodded. The man looked outwards, imagining the duel going on outside.

"Still, to think III would have use such cheap tricks against Yuma."

"The new power Tron gave him, it's changing him in ways we could have never expected."

"Leaving it that long wasn't that smart of an idea, was it?"

"It was the only way. But Yuma has a special power of being able to change people's hearts, so I have faith it will work."

"Of course! Well if you've made up your mind, let's Kattobingu!" The man pumped his fist in the air.

One smiled. "Thank you Kazuma. Let's do this."

* * *

**Me: Okay, so now this is kinda spoiling episode 49. If you've watched it, you'll understand. If you don't this is pretty much spoilers.**

**Astral: I have not been in this fanfic at all yet. And you only plan on adding me in at the very end.**

**Me: Sorry but that's how it's working! The fanfic goes this way and I can't stop it!**

**Astral: (sighs) Review the chapter. Many things will be answered next chapter or the chapter after it. And many more questions will come.**

**Me: So of course, it's ending with an epic duel! Why does it ALWAYS end with an epic duel! I mean, I love epic duels as much as the next person, but it takes a while to write out everything!**

**Astral: You will find out more about One later.**

**Me: I've already mapped out everything that's gonna happen! So now, uh, WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO ONCE THIS IS OVER!**

**Astral: Get a new idea. And this is getting long, so it's time to end off. **

**Me: Sure! Review the chapter! See you later!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Me: Hello! I'm updating this! Now, chapter 18, chapter 18, wow! I made it to chapter 18! **

**Astral: If you would stop getting distracted, you would have finished it sooner.**

**Me: It's not that easy ya know!**

**Astral: Neither is math homework but you seem to get that done faster than this.**

**Me: I can't help it ya know! Math's pretty easy! The math at our school is too easy!**

**Astral: (sighs) We do no****—**

**Me: IT'S MY TURN! WE DO NOT OWN YUGIOH ZEXAL IN ANY WAY!**

* * *

**Chapter 18: Regaining Memories and Confusing Conversations**

"One?" Yuma looked around. "Oh well. Guess he went off somewhere. I play Monster Reborn! Now Gogogo Golem comes back! And I summon Overlay Owl! Now I activate Overlay Owl's effect! By paying 600 lifepoints, I remove Machu Mach's last overlay unit!"

"What?!"

**III: 4000**

**Yuma: 1600**

_Two level four monsters. It feels like I would do something at this point! But what was it?_

"I—"

A light shone from Yuma's pendant and covered the entire field. "What?!"

"What's going on?!" III shouted.

The light transferred to his deck case and Yuma took out a new card from it. "Numbers 39, Kibou Ou Hope. Hope? Hope! Yeah, Hope! It's Hope!" He yelled happily. "Hope's back!"

"I overlay my level four Gogogo Golem and my level four Gogogo Giant! I build the overlay network with these two level four monsters! Exceed summon!"

"Overlay two level four monsters? Don't tell me…" III scowled.

A familiar gold and white structure rose from the ground with two glowing lights zooming around it. "Appear! Numbers 39!" The structure started unfolding piece by piece, until a warrior swung out his sword and yelled out a battle cry. "Kibou Ou Hope!"

"It's Hope!" Kotori and Cathy cheered. "Hope!"

"Hope's back-ura!" Tokunosuke yelled.

"So it's returned. You still can't beat me with it though!" III shouted. "You're just a pathetic duelist without Astral to help you out!"

"Astral?" Yuma thought about it. All of his memories started running back into his mind. "Astral! Astral?" He looked around. "Where's Astral? In fact, what happened?! I remember us dueling, and something happening, and then being here!"

"Hmph!" III smirked. "Well then I'll tell you! Astral's gone! He's been destroyed!"

"What?! What are you talking about?! III!"

"It's true! You should have seen it! He's been destroyed for two weeks already!"

"Two weeks? No way. That's not possible. Astral being missing for two weeks?! That's just not possible! THERE'S NO WAY THAT WOULD HAPPEN!" He yelled, tears starting to come. "You're lying! Come on! Kotori! Tetsuo! You guys! There's no way…."

He looked at their expressions, at how they didn't reply, at how they immediately looked away. "Kotori? Tetsuo?" Kotori was also silently crying. "Kotori…"

"And to think you didn't notice for two weeks! Yuma!" III shouted.

"III, you, you…." Yuma clenched his fist. "You're gonna pay!" He yelled.

"It doesn't matter! Nothing you do will change this situation!"

"Yes it will! As long as I believe, I'll definitely win!"

"There's no way you can, not with Astral here helping you!"

"He's here! In my memories, in my heart, Astral will always be here! He's here in Hope! And he's here with me! The flame of hope that won't go away, that's what Astral's left that with me!"

III scowled even harder, gritting his teeth. "YUMA!"

"Hope! Attack Machu Mach! Hope King Slash!"

Hope leaped towards the castle. "Do you think I'll let you?!"

"I use one of Hope's overlay units to negate his own attack!"

"What?!" Hope threw his sword in front of him, blocking him from going further.

"Now I activate the spell Double or Nothing! When an attack is negated, I can have Hope attack again with twice the attack points!"

"No way!"

"Hope! Hope King Double Slash!" Hope charged up his swords and slashed apart the castle with his swords. III yelled as he flew backwards and hit the ground hard.

**III: 1400**

**Yuma: 1600**

"Yes! Now Yuma's in the lead!" Kotori cheered.

"He's winning-ura!" Tokunosuke yelled.

"He can do this!" Tetsuo shouted.

"I end my turn there!" Yuma said. "III! You're gonna pay for what you did to Astral!"

III got up slowly, his roman armour glowing brighter. "Yuma… Even without Astral here, you can still fight?"

"Of course! Now that I got my memories back, I remember everything! And I'm going to beat you with it! This is me and Astral's power! I end my turn here!"

"You think that's it?! My power isn't limited to Machu Mach!"

"Come at me then!"

III's green crest on his hand shone as he glowed red with rage. "It's my turn! Draw! I activate Babylon's effect! I banish OOPArts Colossal Head from my graveyard to special summon OOPArts Tula Guardian!" The rock monster appeared.

"Now I tribute OOPArts Cabrera's Catapult to advance summon OOPArts Sol Monolith! Monolith's effect activates! I change Tula Guardian to level 6!"

"Two level six monsters?!" Yuma yelled.

"I'll show you! The power I received from Tron himself!" III grinned evilly. "I overlay my level six Sol Monolith and my level six Tula Guardian! I build the overlay network with these two level six monsters! Exceed Summon!"

A large island-like structure rose from the ground and opened up. It pixelated its arms and legs while overlay units flew around it until it fully formed into a giant island monster. "Appear! Numbers 6! OOPArts Monster, Atlanthal!"

"A new Numbers?!"

"And I'm going to beat you with it, Yuma!"

_**-Meanwhile, Inside the Key-**_

"So Astral can't be revived yet?" Kazuma asked.

"Astral disappeared because of the power III received from Tron. I'm sure Yuma will be able to convince III to help revive Astral. We need to combine all three powers so that Astral can return."

"So III's got one of them, and you conveniently have the other two! Now all Yuma has to do is Kattobingu!"

"You think Kattobinging will make everything better, wont it!"

"Of course! If you try your hardest, you'll definitely be able to do it! You do it too sometimes!"

"You're the same no matter which world it is."

"Hey, I'd be insulted if my other world selves DIDN'T Kattobingu! Anyway, isn't it nearly time?"

"You're right. We'd better prepare."

"Oh come on! Relax a bit! Everything will work out! Even that super complicated plan of yours!"

"It's not that—"

"Oh, it's almost time!" Kazuma walked off towards the Numbers holding mechanism. "Come on!"

One sighed. "You really are the same in every single world out there."

* * *

**Me: Anyone wondering about who One really is? Cause I'd love to tell you but I'm laughing too hard! **

**Astral: Well at least you are not just guessing everything this time.**

**Me: And…uh…review please! Next time will either be the last chapter or the second-to-last chapter for the first in this Trilogy! See ya later!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Me: Hello! Welcome to the nineteenth chapter!**

**Astral: Like always, we do not own Yugioh Zexal.**

**Me: Have fun reading this! I'm gonna take a nap now, cause I wanna! Plus cause it's, like, 11 pm on my side and I need to sleep now anyway! (yawns)**

* * *

**Chapter 19: The Kattobingu of Yuma  
**

"OOPArts Atlanthal's effect! When it's exceed summoned, I equip it with a Numbers in my graveyard! Machu Mach!" The castle rose back out of the ground and was swallowed up by Atlanthal. "And now Atlanthal gains Machu Mach's attack points!"

"5000 attack points?!" Yuma yelled.

"I'm far from done Yuma!" III shouted angrily. "Atlanthal! Attack Kibou Ou Hope!"

"I activate Hope's ability! By removing an overlay unit, I negate your attack!" Yuma yelled as Hope threw his sword out, stopping the giant monster.

"You think that's it?! I play my trap Counterforce! Since the attack was negated, you take damage equal to the difference between Atlanthal and Hope!"

"That's 2500!" Tetsuo yelled.

"Yuma!" Kotori shouted.

"I activate my trap Nitwit Outwit! I discard Dododo Warrior from my hand to lower Atlanthal's attack points by 2300! So now I only take 200!"

**III: 1400**

**Yuma: 1400**

"I'm not done! By removing one overlay unit from Atlanthal, I halve your life points!"

"What?!" Yuma screamed as he got hit by Atlanthal's attack stream.

"Yuma!" Kotori yelled.

**III: 1400**

**Yuma: 700**

"I set a card facedown and end my turn. Yuma! There's no hope left for you know!"

"That's what you think! There's always hope! It's always with me and I'll never give up! It's my turn, draw! Get ready III!"

"Come at me!"

"Since I have less than 1000 lifepoints, I can use Kibou Ou Hope for an exceed summon! Chaos Exceed Change!" Yuma yelled as Hope de-transformed back and flew back into the ground, which exploded with light.

"Appear! Chaos Numbers 39!" A sleeker, black, gold, and white version of Hope's sealed form rose from the ground and transformed. "Emissary who changes Chaos into Light! Kibou Ou Hope Ray!" The new Hope gave out a battle cry as it stood proudly on Yuma's field.

"Hope Ray!" Tetsuo shouted.

"He's here!" Kotori yelled.

"So you summoned him… It doesn't matter! You still can't win!"

"I can! I can win! This is the hope that Astral left with me! I activate the effect of Overlay Eater in my graveyard! By banishing him, I transfer Atlanthal's overlay unit to Hope Ray!" The small lizard appeared and swallowed Atlanthal's last overlay unit with his tongue. Then he spit it out to Hope Ray, who glowed with power from it.

"Now Atlanthal can't use his effect anymore! I activate Hope Ray's effect! By removing one overlay unit, he gains 500 power! I'm using both overlay units!" Yuma yelled as both overlay units were absorbed into Hope Ray's sword. "Overlay Charge!"

"And Atlanthal's power goes down by 1000 for each overlay used!"

"No way! With Astral gone you can still—

"He's still here! He'll always be here in my heart! That's what'll make me win! Go Hope Ray! Hope King Chaos Slash!"

"You think I didn't predict this?! I activate my trap Negate Attack! This negates your attack and automatically ends the battle phase!"

"No way! Hope Ray's attack…"

"It's blocked!" Tetsuo yelled as the rest of his friends gasped.

"Now Yuma…" Kotori stared.

"Even with a Chaos Numbers, you still can't beat me!" III smirked.

"I'm not done yet! I set one card facedown and end my turn!" Yuma threw the card down.

"Too bad! Now both of our monster's attack points return to normal!"

"But Atlanthal has no overlay units now!"

"That doesn't change anything! It's my turn! Dra—" III froze and started falling, but caught himself. His body glowed red with power.

"Oi! III! What's wrong?!" Yuma shouted.

"It, it doesn't concern you! Let's go! It's my turn! Draw!" III yelled.

At this moment, the part of Atlanthal that looked like a volcano rumbled dangerously, then erupted two streams of energy, knocking back both III and Yuma.

**III: 700**

**Yuma: 350**

"What was that?!" Yuma shouted from the rubble he was lying on.

"At the standby phase, when Atlanthal has no overlay units, it halves both players life points." III panted as he got off of the ground.

"Dang, but I still have lifepoints left! I'm not out yet III!" Yuma yelled as he jumped up.

III didn't reply as he stood, breathing heavily. His helmet fell off and it showed his face, which was shining with his new mark going out of control. He screamed in pain.

"III! III, what's wrong?!" Yuma yelled. The rest of his friends gasped and stared.

III didn't answer as waves of energy pulsed through his body. He screamed again.

"III!" Yuma started running over.

"Don't come!" III shouted. Yuma stopped.

"Don't bother yourself with it! This is the price for the power I've obtained." III shouted. "Even if my body breaks apart, I will definitely protect my family!"

"III….you…." Yuma stared.

"Atlanthal! Attack Hope Ray now! Divine Punishment!" A gust of wind shot up into the sky, which then headed towards Yuma's monster.

"This is bad!" Takashi yelled.

"Trap activate! Battle Break! This trap negates your attack and destroys Atlanthal!" Yuma shouted.

"What?!" Beams of light shot from the trap card and zoomed towards Atlanthal. III scowled.

"I activate—" He remembered what Tron had said about using the card. He thought about it for a moment, then shouted. "I activate the trap Angolmois!"

"This trap destroys an Equip card on my field and negates an opponent's trap and destroys it!" Machu Mach shined inside Atlanthal, then dissolved away, lowering the giant monster's attack points. "Go Atlanthal!"

"I activate my other trap, Impenetrable Attack! Now Hope Ray can't be destroyed in battle!" Yuma yelled as he was blasted back from the attack.

**III: 700**

**Yuma: 250**

"Yuma!" Tetsuo yelled.

"He hung in there-ura!" Tokunosuke shouted.

III fell to his knees. "Yuma… you're still…" The mark swallowing up his body shone as III got shocked and screamed.

"III!" Yuma yelled as he got up.

"I'm not done yet! I can beat you next turn!" III yelled as he tried to get off of the ground painfully.

"III, stop this now! Aren't we friends?! Stop it!" Yuma shouted.

"I don't need friends…"

"I want to talk to you! About your family and my dad! Two weeks ago you were in my house and you were actually happy! So why now?! We're friends, aren't we?!"

"Yuma…." III's expression softened. "Thank you… but it's already too late…"

"Huh? What?"

"Angolmois is a card of destruction." The said card on III's field began shining with red light, which shot into the sky. "On my next turn, it inflicts damage to you and me equal to the destroyed Machu Mach's attack points."

Tron's mark appeared in the sky and beams of light shot from it, moving in a circle pattern and dissolving everything in its way to dust.

"What?!" Kotori gasped, along with some others.

"What's going on?!" Tetsuo yelled.

"On my next turn," III explained, "we will both receive 2400 points of damage, and we will be finished."

The mark of Tron stopped spinning and shrunk down until it flew into the center of Atlanthal's core and was absorbed.

"But it probably won't end in a normal draw though, since we battled with Numbers up until now. But I don't mind! If my sacrifice can meet Tron's expectations, if my family can return to normal as before…" III smiled slightly.

"III…. You…." Yuma looked at him sadly.

The circle that Tron's mark had surrounded had a large wall of darkness slowly approaching the duel. Any buildings in its way quickly disappeared.

"Uh, don't you think that darkness is, getting closer?" Tetsuo asked nervously. "Isn't that dangerous?

"W-What are you talking about Tetsuo-kun!" Takashi laughed nervously. "This is just AR! It's not, real…." He took off his D-Gazer and looked around, then jumped.

"N-No way…. This is real?!"

The darkness started closing in faster. Dark storms with red lightning rumbled around them as the wind picked up.

"This is bad! What do we do?!" Tetsuo yelled.

Yuma looked around worriedly. "Oi III!"

III instinctly stepped back. "Something's wrong… No way! This Is the door to the other dimension?!"

He looked at Atlanthal, then tried to control it with his mark. It flew up into Atlanthal, but blasted him back instead.

"III!"

"It's not working… I can't control it with my Crest's power?!"

The ground around them began crumbling.

"Does this mean, Angolmois power is leading this world to destruction?!" III said as the ground broke away and everyone began falling down the portal. Lights swirled past them as they fell farther and farther away.

"Oi III! What's going on!" Yuma yelled.

"If this goes on, this duel will lead us to another dimension. You and me, no, everything will be sucked up into it!" III said.

"What?!"

"No way!" Kotori shouted.

"Help us-ura!" Tokunosuke yelled as him and the rest of them kept falling. "I don't like this!"

"I… I never wanted the world to end or anything! I'm sorry Yuma…" III said.

Yuma clenched his fist. "KATTOBINGU DA!" He yelled for the first time in two weeks. "KATTOBINGU DAZE!"

III looked up shocked.

"Yuma said…" Takashi started.

"Kattobingu…" Tetsuo finished.

"Then…" Cathy trailed off.

"Yuma's really back! Everything in his memories is back!" Kotori yelled happily.

"Yuma…" III stared.

"III! You said if this goes on, we'll be sucked into another dimension, right? Then I'll defeat you in this duel and stop it!" Yuma yelled.

III looked at him. "It's impossible! When my lifepoints are lower than 1000, Atlanthal can't be destroyed in battle and I can't receive any battle damage! We're all finished…"

"Don't joke about it! The duel isn't over yet! There's no way I'd give up!" Yuma shouted. "If Astral was here, he'd still fight on too! He'd…" Yuma remembered something that had happened before and gasped. "Zexal…."

"Zexal?" III wondered.

"It's the power of miracles that me and Astral used! But he…."

"Yuma…" III's crest shone on his hand as the two of them floated closer together. "Yuma, we might be able to bring Astral back."

"Bring back Astral?!"

"Astral disappeared because of my crest's power. If I were to give you this power…"

"Then Astral will come back?!" Yuma exclaimed.

"But the problem is if you can handle the crest's power." III showed the crest. "You might be consumed by the power."

"I don't care! If Astral comes back…" Yuma said and held out his hand determinedly. "So, lend me your powers! III!"

III nodded and the hand with his crest came together with Yuma's and began glowing. The orange marks on III's body began appearing on Yuma's and he screamed in pain.

"Astral!" He yelled.

"Yuma…" III stared at the boy.

"Yuma!" Kotori yelled.

"Augh! This crest's power…." All of Yuma's memories of Astral flashed through his mind and his eyes widened. "KATTOBINGU DA, ORE!" He yelled as the crest's marks dispelled.

"ASTRAL!"

_**-In The Key-**_

"You know, you could have gone and stopped III from playing Angolmois." Kazuma said.

"Then Yuma would never be able to forgive himself for Astral's disappearance and that's exactly what _he_ wants."

"Still can't believe this guy you told me about!"

"He's complicated. But I know there's no way this Yuma will give up now."

"ASTRAL!" Yuma's voice resonated throughout the entire mechanism. The Numbers began glowing on the panel.

"This is where I come in." One said and held his hand up the machine. It glowed a bright blue as One shone along with it.

"Here you go!" Kazuma held his hand up as well as yellow blended into the blue of One and III's red on the Numbers. Particles of red, yellow, blue, and white fused together on the ground behind them. Soon it glowed blue and transformed into a familiar blue being, who opened his eyes.

"Astral." Kazuma said.

Astral looked up at him. "You're…"

"Astral. My son is calling you."

"Astral." Astral looked to the other side, where One was standing. He smiled. "Kattobingu daze."

Kazuma dissolved in yellow light, while One transformed into a ball of white light and flew out of the key.

"I'm leaving the rest to you, Astral." One's voice said.

Astral looked up at the golden light in the sky. "Yuma…"

* * *

**Me: Hey I just thought of something! Astral! You've only been in this story for this chapter and the next! Haha! (sticks out tongue)**

**Astral: It is not like you are in this story either.**

**Me: That's what YOU think! (cracks up silently in background)**

**Astral: (sighs) Next time will be the last chapter for this story. Review the chapter, and the sequel will hopefully be out soon.**

**Me: ALSO, since it's the 20****th**** chapter AND the last chapter, we're gonna have a super special awesome celebration! Review and see you next time! **


	20. Chapter 20

**Me: Hello! Sorry if I made you wait! I think my computer has a bug or something, cause it kept crashing and erasing all my data damnit!**

**Astral: If you would remember to just save the file****—**

**Me: THE THING'S SET TO AUTOSAVE! MICROSOFT WORD'S AUTOSAVE HATES ME!**

**Astral: Isn't it your own fault for not remembering.**

**Me: Well that's not the point here! This is the 20****th****, and the last chapter of this first part! Hope you enjoy and have fun! We do not own Yugioh Zexal!**

* * *

**Chapter 20: Mysterious Presences**

Light shone from the Key as Yuma and III separated. Particles of red, yellow and blue fused together and Astral reappeared.

"Yuma." Astral smiled.

"Astral….you…"

"I heard your voice. Let's win."

"You…." Yuma stared at him as he started to tear up. "You…! Ahhh! You're always so, ahh!" He tried wiping away the tears coming out as his friends cheered.

"Yuma…" III smiled at them, but then got shocked from his crest's energy again.

"III!" Yuma yelled.

III flew up into Atlanthal's core and began merging with it. "Yuma! Astral! Don't worry about me and beat this thing!"

"Yuma! Zexal!" Astral said.

"Right!" Yuma pumped his fist in the air. "Let's go Astral!" He shouted as he turned into red light, while Astral turned into blue light.

"I overlay you and myself! I create an Overlay Network with ourselves!" The two lights spiralled up into the air, then came down as a golden light and exploded across the area.

In the light, a man with red and white armor began forming, his D-Gazer shining.

"_When two distant souls connect, the descending power will appear!"_

The man had spiky golden hair, and his entire body was shining with golden light. "ZEXAL!"

"Yuma and Astral combined?!" Kotori exclaimed. The rest of her friends stared at Zexal.

"Let's go, Astral!" Zexal thrust his right hand in the air as it began to collect energy.

"_To the strongest duelists, everything is vital. Even the card drawn is made by the duelist themselves."_

"Shining Draw!" Zexal shouted as he drew the glowing card on the top of his deck.

"I summon Zexal Weapon, Dinosaur Blade!" A large, black armored dinosaur stomped onto the field. It transformed into a scaly, black sword, which Hope Ray grabbed. "This monster can be equipped to Hope Ray, giving him 1200 more attack points!"

"And when Hope Ray attacks a monster, the monster's effect is negated!"

"Then Atlanthal can be destroyed in battle!" Kotori yelled.

"And the difference will be dealt to III!" Tetsuo shouted.

"He can do it! Yuma can do it-ura!"

"Go Yuma!"

"Let's go, Hope Ray!" Zexal yelled. "Attack Atlanthal! Hope Chaos Blade Slash!"

Hope Ray jumped forwards, glowing with golden energy. He flew towards Atlanthal and drew the blade, slash down the sides of the monster. Light began shining from the cracks as they got bigger. The land monster exploded apart, blasting everyone back. The portal began glowing as well, blinding the entire field and swallowing it up completely, along with everyone in it.

**III: 0**

**Zexal: 250**

_**-linebreakofsomesort (tehee)-**_

Yuma awoke lying on the ground of the highway where he had been dueling. He sat up and looked around, processing through his mind what had gone on. His friends also got up, and he watched them cheer out of happiness that they were back alive.

"I…. won then?"

"Yuma." Yuma looked up at Astral, who floated next to him. "I told you we would win."

"Astral." Yuma smiled, then remembered who his opponent had been. "That's right, III!" He got up and looked around. III was lying on the ground a few feet away from him. He ran over as III began to regain consciousness.

Yuma helped III up off of the ground. "Oi! Are you okay?" III didn't meet his gaze.

"You…"

"I got it, Yuma." Yuma looked at him confused. III continued.

"You accepted the current me. You are my first real friend."

"III…."

"Yuma, I have a favour to ask." III turned to Yuma and smiled sadly. "Could you, save my family?"

Yuma looked at him.

"If it's you, if it's your Kattobingu, I'm sure….." The swirling portal appeared behind III and he disappeared into it.

"III…." Yuma then looked down to see what III had left behind. It was his two Number cards, which dissolved as Astral absorbed them.

"Yuma!" Kotori said as she and the others ran over happily. "You won!"

"Yeah…" Yuma looked off, thinking about what would happen next. Then he remembered something important…

"MY HEARTPIECE!" Yuma yelled. "I DIDN'T WIN THE FIRST DUEL WITH III SO I LOST MY HEARTPIECES!" He began crying in the corner of the highway. "Now I can't participate in the World Duel Carnival finals…."

A tic mark appeared on Kotori's head. She stomped over to him and grabbed his ear up. "Yuma!"

"Ow ow what?!" Yuma yelled. "I just lost my last chance of being in the WDC finals! Can't you let me sulk in peace?!"

"Here!" Kotori passed over something in her pocket to Yuma. Yuma took it and stared.

"A HEARTPIECE!" Yuma shouted happily and began running in circles in happiness. "HOW'D YOU GET THIS?!"

"III left it after the first duel." Kotori said.

"III did?" Yuma took out his four heartpieces and put the fifth one in. It was a perfect fit.

"So now you can participate in the finals!" She smiled.

"Yeah." Yuma looked at the completed heart in his hand.

"Yuma," Astral said, "there's bound to be Numbers in the finals."

"And we're going to get them all!" Yuma took out his deck box. "I already got a whole bunch, see…." He took out the Numbers and began shifting through them. "Huh?"

"What's wrong?" Kotori leaned over and asked.

"One's card….. Number 1, it's gone…." Yuma stared.

"Oh, Yuma," Astral said, "when I came to, I think I met this One."

"You did?"

"There was something I felt from him that was very familiar."

"Well, he's one of your memories, isn't he?"

"But that wasn't it." Astral began thinking. Yuma then remembered another very important thing.

"I HAVEN'T SAID KATTOBINGU IN TWO WEEKS!" Yuma yelled. "I GOTTA MAKE UP FOR THE LOST TIME! Kattobingu kattobingu kattobingu kattobingu kattobingu kattobingu kattobingu—"

"YUMA!" Kotori yelled.

Yuma and Kotori began arguing as the rest of their friends laughed and watched. On top of a building nearby, a dark figure watched them.

"Number 39's Yuma….." He growled before disappearing into a portal. "You'll go down just like all of the others."

**Epilogue**

_**-Inside the Key-**_

A familiar boy walked down the side of the Key. He looked around slowly, thinking about all that had happened.

"That was never supposed to happen." He muttered to himself. "What happened? If things had progressed like usual, then…"

"Oh I wonder what would have happened!" A voice that sounded nearly identical to his resonated through the space. The boy looked around quickly.

"Who is it?" He called.

"I'm surprised you don't recognize my voice! It's been so long you've forgotten One? That _is_ what you're calling yourself now, right?" A person walked out of the side. He looked almost identical to One, only with the exception of the darker clothes and the color of his hair was inverted, red spikes with black bangs.

"Force. What are you doing here?!" One demanded.

"Looking around! There are very interesting portals around here! It's amazing how Astral hasn't discovered all of them!"

One remained silent.

"You wouldn't believe what worlds there are! Do you think it would be interesting if, let's say, something escaped to a different reality?"

"Force! You can't be planning to—"

"I have to do it!"

"What you're doing isn't right! Kazuma in this world told me how something was blocking him off from helping Yuma the first time! When I investigated, it turns out you were behind it!"

"Of course! But you just _had_ to interfere and ruin it!"

"You know why! I can't just stand by while you do _that_, Force!"

Force scowled. "Stop calling me that!" He started walking away, and a blood-red portal began to swallow him up. "My name is Barian now."

* * *

**Me: Hello again! I have now decided that this is really an AU fic! It turns out this Force person was behind leaving Yuma hopeless for that long! Who is this mysterious Force person, who's also called Barian? Who was that person watching Yuma and the others? What's going to happen next? Find out some other time that isn't now! For now, we party!**

**Astral: Apparently she is celebrating finishing this story and getting on with the second instalment.**

**Me: I don't know what that means but sure!**

_**Kyō mo tesuto ga muzukashī goraku yūwaku tachi kirenai  
Kaette terebi wo miteitai saikin anime ga omoshiroi**_

_**Tonikaku tesuto ga muzukashī koku sū ei ga toku ni muzui**_  
_**Rika to shakai mo heikinten tokui na no wa taīku kurai**_

_**(Machi na yo beibē!) Nozomareta**_  
_**(Sorette beibē!) Kaitō wo**_  
_**(Chotto matta beibē!) Oboeru no wa**_  
_**(Oretacha nanda!? beibē!) Dare no tame ni**_

_**Tatoeba sono kami ni seikai wo kaketa to shite**_  
_**Ichi-nen saki, jū-nen saki kawaru?**_

_**Yume no katasumi de egaita sekai de**_  
_**Itsuka boku wa ōzora wo kakeru**_  
_**Dare mo kono kokoro wo togamenai yo**_  
_**Nani ga tadashī nante nai!**_

_**Yaritai koto ga boku ni wātte kibishī mirai kakugo shi teru**_  
_**Keredo otona wa atamagonashi ichido shippai sa sete hoshī**_

_**(Machi na yo Baby!) Jiyūdato**_  
_**(Sorette Baby!) sakebunara**_  
_**(Chotto Matta Baby!) michinori wa**_  
_**(Oretacha nanda!? Baby!) araku kewashī**_

_**Daishō no ōki-sa ni hara o kukuretanara**_  
_**Jū-byō saki ichi-byō saki kawaru**_

_**Yume yo kanae nani ka wo ushinaoutomo nito wo ou mono wa itto wo moezu**_  
_**Tada hitotsudake no gyokuza o mezasō saishōgen no nimotsu de**_

_**Boku no kuesuto wa ima wa mada hajime no machi sura dete inai**_  
_**Deyou deyou iza soto e**_

_**Tatoeba kono machi de buki-ya o itonanda to shite**_  
_**Jū-nen saki gojū-nen saki owareru?**_

_**Ima wa zaregotodarou shikata ga nai yo itsunomanika mikaesu hi ga kuru  
Hontō no teki wa koko ni wa inai yo haruka…  
Yume no katasumi de egaita sekai e itsuka boku wa kono ashi de kakeru  
Yume janai michi wa tsudzuite iru iza zetsubō no kanata e  
Iza zetsubō no kanata e**_

**Me: See you all soon! Thanks for reading for all this time! Eat some cake to celebrate with me! I love chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and chocolate all around it!**

**Astral: She just likes chocolate in general.**

**Me: CHOCOLATE! Review! You'll get some chocolate if you do! I gotta thank people now! For everytime you reviewed you get one cookie! **

DarkGalaxy1038: 3

Ying-Yang Yo-Yo: 19

Animecartoonlover36: 1

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K.I.T.T. RIDER: 1

Doxa Anima: 3

Hana13: 10

Photon Drake: 6

Light-Sakura: 14

CureAnimeLover: 3

Soul Rider: 2

Okyptos: 1

CyberAngel08: 6

Resha Tsubaki: 2

Nanashi No Gombee: 1

GestuRoze: 6

Himmeh: 1

The Cold Mage: 1

OtakunessandGamer: 1

Charolette Ink: 1

**Me: Okay, thank you all so much! Just, thanks so much! No matter if you reviewed once or a thousand times, thanks so much! I swear I almost cried when I read the list over!**

**Astral: You did cry.**

**Me: I did not! (wipes away tears) I would hug you all unfortunately this is a computer and I have no idea how to hug people through a computer! Do you think if I hug the computer, the hug will be transported to you all?**

**Astral: I do not think so.**

**Me: Oh well. HUGS AND COOKIES FOR EVERYONE! **


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